Question of the Week: Seasons greetings, Tampa Bay Lightning holiday wishes

Ah, December! We’ve feasted on Thanksgiving (…a month late, if you ask the average Canadian), devouring both food and retail sales on Bllack Friday.

Yes, tis the season! The season of giving, the festival of lights, yuletidings, egg nog, and the airing of grievances! It’s the holidays, may they be happy and warm, full of light and wonder!

But with the season of giving, comes the season of want. The Raw Charge question of the week, posed to members of the Boltosphere as well as the Raw Charge staff, is: What do you want (in a hockey related sense) for the holidays? Santa, family, friends, and General Manager Steve Yzerman, andCEO Tod Leiweke please take note.

Nolan Whyte – Frozen Sheets of Hockey

Dear faceless, low-rent hockey blogger,

We have been reading your work at Frozen Sheets Hockey for some time, and we want you to know that we like what we see. Your glib commentary on our team and its fortunes have long been required reading by our front office staff, and we feel the time is right to offer you a position. Your duties will not change– just continue to voice your opinions. Only now those opinions will help to shape decision-making policy at our top levels.

Please state what you expect for compensation, and let us know when you will be available to come down for a face-to-face chat. Our charter jet will be at your disposal.

We look forward to meeting you at last,

Sincerely,

The Hockey Operations Department,
Tampa Bay Lightning.

Thank you, Santa!

Alexis Boucher – Sons of Andreychuk

On the ice, I’m hoping the team can harness their streaks of good play and put it together for a full 60 minutes. A long win streak would be nice as well. These guys are on the verge of something good, I just hope they can push it into the next gear and get it there.

When it comes to merchandise, I would love one of the white away jerseys. They are super sharp and I want to get my hands on one. For a silly wish that will probably never happen, I wish they would serve something other than Budweiser products on the Terrace level Party Deck. The last thing anyone needs to use to toast a victory is Bud Light Lime. Yuck.

Chad Schnarr — Bolt Prospects

A clear-cut goaltender of the immediate future.

Matt Amos — Staff Writer / Don’t Trade Vinny

I’d love for the Lightning to find a sense of urgency. I, personally, am not urgent or panicky about this season. Why? For the same reason I never am. It’s the Lightning.

But! I would love to see the players themselves man up a little bit. .500 is not going to cut it this year, as the Eastern Conference is much more competitive this season. When you factor in a heavier Western Conference schedule than usual, the Bolts need to get anxious for some wins, and soon. With all the shootout nonsense, even if you’re sitting in 6th by late-March, you could be out of it by the time the playoffs come around.

Other than that, I’d love one of the new sweater’s customized with either Marty’s, or Vinny’s name/number/A or C. Or just the guys themselves. #ManCrush

Clark Brooks — Staff Writer

My Christmas list…

• For Raw Charge readers: Plenty of really good reasons to visit the site over and over again between now and July.
• For Raw Charge staff: New seat covers in the Raw Charge mobile news van (sorry about that; I honestly didn’t think the jelly in donuts would be so hard to get out of fabric, although I guess if you spill enough of it…)
• For the Tampa Bay Lightning: A top five defenseman (I tried repeatedly to write something else there but the auto-correct keeps changing it)
• For the St. Pete Times Forum: Tour dates from Prince and all the money they’d make as a result (I’m good for $75-$125 for a seat within the first 10 rows).
• For the NHL: A realignment plan that makes everybody happy, except of course the miserable old provincial Original Sixers who are never happy because, honestly, at this point, screw them.
• For me, myself: The “new” home Lightning sweater, numbered, with my name on it and somebody cute to give it to me.

Dani Toth — Staff Writer / Lightning Hockey Blog

Dear Santa Steve Yzerman,

Please get the team a top 4 defenceman? That is all I want for Christmas. Is that too much to ask? If not…I’ll settle for a new Lightning jersey if the defenceman will be a late present say around February 27th?

Dani

And you, dear reader? What would you like for the holidays?