The Top 10 NHL Stories in 2011-12

The NHL season has ended, and a new season is upon us. But first, we look back at the top ten stories that defined the 2011-12 season.

10. Florida Returns to the Playoffs after 10 Years

For 11 years, Florida means futility. They fielded bad teams each and every year and were ridiculed by virtually everybody. But in 2012, the jokes were put to rest, as the Panthers won their first Southeast Division title in franchise history and ended the longest active Stanley Cup Playoff drought. New coach Kevin Dineen instilled discipline and hard work for the team, and it paid off. Despite losing to former coach Peter DeBoer and the New Jersey Devils in seven games, optimism began to bloom in South Florida.

9. Hockey Returns to Winnipeg

The former Atlanta Thrashers were sold to a Winnipeg-based ownership group and were moved to Winnipeg, putting the NHL back to the Canadian city after 15 years. Ironically, they were named the Jets, but did not adopt the original Jets'  (current Phoenix Coyotes) history. Nevertheless, the new Jets were immediately embraced in Winnipeg, and the MTS Centre was sold out in every game. Even though they missed out on the playoffs, the future appears to be bright for the Jets. 

8. Stamkos Snipes 60

It is rare that an NHL player scores 60 goals in a season. But for Steven Stamkos everything is possible. Though Tampa Bay missed the playoffs this year, Stamkos didn't miss a beat, becoming just the 20th player to score 60 goals in a season. His feat earned him the Rocket Richard Trophy at the end of the season. A lot will be expected of Stamkos next season, as the Lightning look to return to the playoffs after a sluggish and inconsistent 2011-12 that saw several players miss time due to injury.






7. The Bruins' Near-Invincible November

Despite failing to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, the Boston Bruins were able to achieve something else: a near-undefeated month. November saw Boston win earn points in each game; the only one-point game was a shootout loss on November 25 against Detroit. During the stretch, Tyler Seguin emerged as one of the elite players in the league, while Tim Thomas played superbly behind the pipes. The Bruins will bring back most of the band back next season except for Thomas, who announced he would sit out the season for personal reasons.


6. The Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Tragedy

On September 7, a Russian airline crashed into the Volga River near Yaroslavl, killing the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team in the Kontinental Hockey League. Several of its players were NHL alumni, including Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Josef Vasicek, and assistant coach Brad McCrimmon. Several of the teams connected to the victims wore uniform or helmet patches during the season, while a majority of opening night games were preceded by a moment of silence for the victims.

5. 2012 NHL Winter Classic

The NHL Winter Classic was held in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, and saw the New York Rangers defeat their arch-rival Philadelphia Flyers 3-2, as the winning goal was scored by Brad Richards. In the lead-up to the Classic, both teams were given access to their locker rooms, practice facilities, and even their life off the ice through the HBO 24/7 series. One of the most memorable episodes of the series saw Philadelphia goalie Ilya Bryzgalov humorously explain the universe and other aspects of Russian culture.


4. The 'Shanaban'

Former NHL player Brendan Shanahan took over as executive vice president of player safety before the season. Throughout the year, Shanahan suspended players left to right for a variety of illegal hits, body-checks and other major penalties. This was in response to high concussion rates that affected several players. He further explained the player penalties through a short 2-minute video, spawning the meme 'Shanaban' for his exploits.


3. Phoenix Makes History

The Phoenix Coyotes were once one of the NHL's struggling franchises, never winning a division title or a playoff series since leaving Winnipeg for the desert in 1996. However, in the 2011-12 season, the Coyotes were howling the competition, winning its first Pacific Division title, and advanced to the conference finals for the first. This despite lacking an owner for the past two seasons. A lot will be expected for the Coyotes next season as they try to build on that success.


2. Goals and Fights Galore in Pennsylvania

The Battle of Pennsylvania reached its boiling point during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Flyers and the Penguins scored a total of 56 goals between them, but the Flyers won the series in six games. The most heated game of the series came in Game 3, in which three Penguins (Arron Asham, James Neal, Craig Adams) were suspended afterwards for illegal hits. During the penultimate meeting of the regular season, Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette and Penguins assistant Tony Granato were involved in a shouting tussle, further fueling the rivalry in a lead-up to the playoffs.


1. The Kings are Kings

The eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings were given little chance of advancing deeper in the playoffs, but the way they blitzed past the competition en route to their first Stanley Cup baffled both critics and opponents alike. They took a 3-0 lead in each series, then took out the top three seeds in the West in dominating fashion, as Vancouver, St. Louis and Phoenix were shockingly defeated by the upstarts. In the Final, they stunned the New Jersey Devils in six games for their first Cup in the franchise's 45-year history. 

The Kings' Long and Winding Road to the Stanley Cup

On June 11, 2012, the history of the Los Angeles Kings was changed forever. With a 6-1 thrashing of the New Jersey Devils, the Kings claimed the franchise's first Stanley Cup in front of a sellout crowd at Staples Center. However, the history of the club wasn't as royal as it was before this year.

Kings' first uniform logo
from 1967-88

One of the NHL's 'Next Six' franchises, the Kings were founded in 1967 following the NHL's plans to expand to 12 teams. The original owner was Jack Kent Cooke, and he introduced purple and gold as the team colors, stating they were associated with royalty. 

On October 14, 1967, they played their first NHL game at Long Beach Arena, defeating fellow 'Next Six' team the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. They would also play at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena for the first two months, before moving to The Forum in December. 

Rogie Vachon

In order to familiarize the people of Los Angeles with a predominantly Canadian sport, Cooke decided to create nicknames to his players; names like Bill 'Cowboy' Flett, Eddie 'The Jet' Joyal, Eddie 'The Entertainer' Shack and Real 'The Frenchy' Lemieux were immediate hits among the growing Kings fanbase. They led the Kings to the playoffs in their first two seasons before disappearing from the picture for the next few years. However, one rising star would provide the Kings a cornerstone for the future.

Enter Rogie Vachon. The Kings acquired him from the Montreal Canadiens in 1971, and blossomed behind the pipes for the next six years. Under head coach Bob Pulford, the Kings had their best season to date, amassing 105 points during the 1974-75 season. Still, playoff success eluded the team, and by 1977, Pulford was gone after a pair of playoff series wins in his last two seasons. Nevertheless, the Kings are starting to build in another era of prosperity.

The Triple Crown Line: Dave Taylor,
Marcel Dionne, Charlie Simmer

Marcel Dionne arrived from Detroit in 1975, followed by the drafting of Dave Taylor and the promotion of Charlie Simmer in 1977. Together, they formed the 'Triple Crown Line', and would become one of the highest scoring forward lines in NHL history. The trio's emergence made former all-star Butch Goring expendable, and he eventually wound up with the New York Islanders where he became a four-time Stanley Cup champion.

The high point of the 'Triple Crown Line' era came in 1982. Facing future King Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers, they defeated the Oilers in five games, with Game 3 became more famous in NHL lore as the 'Miracle on Manchester'. The Kings overcame a 5-0 deficit and won 6-5 in overtime as Daryl Evans, now the Kings radio announcer, scored the winner.

Luc Robitaille

The loss would motivate the Oilers, as they went on to make the Finals six times in eight years, winning in five of them. Meanwhile, the 'Triple Crown Line' ended with Simmer's departure to the Boston Bruins, while Dionne would be traded to the New York Rangers midway to the 1986-87 season. By the time Dionne left, the Kings already had a star waiting in the wings: Luc Robitaille.

Robitaille, who would become the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history, was flanked by Bernie Nicholls, Jimmy Carson and Steve Duchesne. Dave Taylor, the only 'TCL' member left, served as the team leader during the transition. During the majority of the 1980s, Dr. Jerry Buss owned the team, but the Kings were nowhere as renowned as the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, also owned by Buss, and who won five NBA titles in the decade. After years of playoff frustration against Gretzky's Oilers, in 1988, a radical change was needed, but in more ways than one.

Kings' 'Gretzky era' logo
from 1988-98

Dr. Buss elected to sell the team to Bruce McNall. One of his first steps is to change the team colors to silver and black; both colors were used by the Raiders, who were in Los Angeles at the time. But his biggest move is yet to come.

Wayne Gretzky, who for years has been the face of the Oilers, arrived in Los Angeles through trade. Reactions to the trade were mixed, but in Canada, fans deeply mourned his departure, citing him as a 'national treasure'. Nevertheless, the Gretzky trade provided hope and boost for ice hockey in California.

Wayne Gretzky

The Kings and Oilers would meet in the 1989 Smythe Division semifinal. After trailing the series 3-1, Gretzky showed what the Oilers missed, leading his new team to three straight wins and eliminated the defending Cup champions. Chris Kontos scored nine goals in the series, in what was the only bright spot in his abbreviated NHL career. However, Edmonton would eliminate Los Angeles in three successive years, including in 1990 where they went on to win their fifth Stanley Cup. It was also in 1990 where Gretzky passed Gordie Howe as the NHL's all-time leading scorer.

Under coach Tom Webster, the Kings finished the 1990-91 season atop the Smythe Division with 102 points, but two seasons later, the Kings would enjoy its best playoff run to this point. With Barry Melrose as coach, and with Gretzky, Robitaille, Taylor, Jarri Kurri, Rob Blake and Kelly Hrudey as the main cogs, the Kings eliminated the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and Toronto Maple Leafs to earn their first Stanley Cup Finals berth. 

Marty McSorley's illegal stick
incident in Game 2
cost the Kings the
1993 Stanley Cup Finals.

After winning Game 1, the Kings appeared to be on its way to a Game 2 victory, before Montreal coach Jacques Demers questioned the length of Marty McSorley's stick. The referees measured the stick and then called it as illegal. The Kings would lose Game 2 on Eric Desjardins' game-tying and game-winning goals and eventually lost the series in five games. 

The Kings would languish at the bottom following their first Stanley Cup finals appearance, and then in February 1996, Wayne Gretzky was traded to the St. Louis Blues. By the time of his departure, Gretzky had finished behind Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor in the Kings' all-time scoring charts. Also in 1996, the Kings introduced the infamous 'Burger King' third jersey, which proved unpopular to Kings fans. 

McNall sold the team in 1994 amid financial controversies surrounding him. Jeffrey Sudikoff and Joseph Cohen purchased the team, but were forced into bankruptcy soon after. The Anschutz Entertainment Group would buy the Kings from bankruptcy in late 1995.

Kings' 'futuristic crown' logo
from 1998-2011, using colors
from two different eras.

Following the departure of Gretzky, Rob Blake emerged as the team leader, and soon after led the team back to the playoffs in 1998. It was the final season of the black and silver, for now. Also that year saw the return of Luc Robitaille after spending time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, and the emergence of Mattias Norstrom. 

For the Kings' final season at The Forum, they modernized their image by adding purple to their existing black and silver set, and introduced a 'futuristic crown' logo along with the shield logo that will be the primary from 1998 to 2002. They kept those insignia upon moving to the Staples Center in 1999.

Rob Blake

Blake and Robitaille would briefly move to other teams in search for their first Stanley Cup. Blake was traded late in the 2000-01 season to the Colorado Avalanche where he helped the team win their second Stanley Cup, while Robitaille signed with the Detroit Red Wings and won the 2002 Stanley Cup with them. During their time away, Norstrom served as the focal point of the team.

The Kings would win their only playoff series of the 2000s when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings in six games before losing to Rob Blake and the eventual champion Avalanche in seven games. Following another playoff berth in 2002, the Kings would hit a rut, missing the playoffs for the next six seasons. Luc Robitaille returned to the team for the last time in 2003 and soon after passed Marcel Dionne for the most goals scored in Kings history, while eventually finishing behind Dave Taylor in games played and Dionne in franchise points. Robitaille retired in 2006 as the NHL's highest scoring left winger.

Kings' modern black and
silver logo since 2011

As Robitaille was about to retire, cornerstones for the future were being laid down as well. Dean Lombardi became the general manager, while Dustin Brown began to emerge from the minors. In 2008, Brown was named captain, which he continues to serve today. For the next few seasons, the Kings also brought in Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick from the minors, and acquired veterans Justin Williams, Matt Greene, Dustin Penner and Rob Scuderi. 

The Kings also made significant changes marketing-wise. In 2008, they returned to the black and silver scheme of the Gretzky years by introducing a new third jersey. The Kings made it back to the playoffs in 2010, losing to the Canucks in six games.  They would lose in the first round again the next year, this time to the San Jose Sharks in six games.

Dustin Brown

Their frequent use of the black and silver jersey in the playoffs paved the way for the full-time return of the color scheme for the 2011-12 season, adding a new road jersey to complement the set. The Kings acquired Mike Richards, Colin Fraser and Simon Gagne in the offseason, then as the season began they started off on a hot note with a 5-1-1 mark but would struggle with an 8-11-4 slump that cost coach Terry Murray his job. Assistant John Stevens took over for four games, going 2-2 before handing the job over to Darryl Sutter. 

The Kings would address its offensive issues by acquiring Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for popular defenseman Jack Johnson. Though Carter started slow following a foot injury, he would become a key contributor to the Kings offense. Along with Jonathan Quick's emergence on goal and a more defensive-minded approach, the Kings went 25-13-11 the rest of the way, but they barely made the playoffs as the eighth seed.

Dustin Brown led the Kings
 to their first Stanley Cup
 in 2012

In the first round, Los Angeles met Vancouver in a rematch of the 2010 first round. In a stunning performance, the Kings upset the President's Trophy-winning Canucks in five games behind short-handed efforts from Dustin Brown in Game 2 and a Jonathan Quick shutout in Game 3. Next up were the St. Louis Blues, led by record-setting goalie Brian Elliott. However, Quick outplayed Elliott throughout the series, and with the help of Matt Greene and Anze Kopitar's short-handed goals in Games 1 and 2, the Kings achieved a franchise first by sweeping the Blues in four games. In the conference final, they faced the Phoenix Coyotes, and again led 3-0 in the series, which included Quick's Game 2 shutout. In Game 5, Dustin Penner's overtime goal earned the Kings a return trip to the Stanley Cup finals after 19 years. 

They played the New Jersey Devils in the final, and thanks to Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter overtime goals, the Kings returned home needing just two wins for the cup. Quick's Game 3 shutout put them a game away, before the Devils twice escaped elimination in Games 4 and 5. But behind a three-goal power play in Game 6, the Kings would end a 45-year journey with their first Stanley Cup. 

It was a long and difficult road for the Kings, from its humbled beginnings to its first Stanley Cup. And after 45 years of waiting, Los Angeles finally has a hockey champion to cheer for. 

2012 NBA Finals Preview

This is it. 14 teams down, now only two remain, and both are hungry for a title. Welcome to the 2012 NBA Finals.

On one side, a team which has constantly matured and blossomed through a patient four-year plan now has a chance to complete the mission of winning a championship. On the other, a team scrutinized and criticized all season has a chance to brush all critics in winning the gold. The mission is the NBA championship, and both the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder can't wait to complete it.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder

Regular Season: Series Tied 1-1

The Miami Heat return for a second chance, and for LeBron James, it is an opportunity for redemption. This is his third chance to win the title, and another loss may find himself on the wrong end of legacies tainted without championships. Kevin Durant, although only his fifth NBA season, has a chance to secure an immediate validation among NBA legends with the Big One. However, he is leading the Thunder that lacks any championship experience.

Who needs title experience anyway? Even the 1990-91 Chicago Bulls can attest to that. The Thunder were a young, hungry crew ready to strike stronger bolts in the NBA, and with the leadership of Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher, the Thunder look poised to make their initial finals experience a memorable one. For the Heat, they are carrying LeBron's burden, and even if they have additional championship experience, they may have an even tougher task than last year. If James takes over in the clutch, Miami's chances will go higher. But Durant has proven to be clutch too, and only a great defense on him and his teammates will help Miami's cause. For Oklahoma City, neutralizing the suddenly hot Chris Bosh and exploiting Dwyane Wade's lack of prior explosiveness will be the key, as are the defense on Miami's support crew. And for Miami, stopping Durant, Westbrook and Harden will be the key to their success, along with creating more scoring opportunities to their Big Three. This will be a long series, and only the team with the right adjustments wins.

Baseball in Review: April-May

One-third of the baseball season is complete, so we look back at Major League Baseball's best and worst. Don't be surprised how things turned around following our March previews. The playoff race is too early, so no talk about playoff possibilities at this moment.

Most Surprising Teams: AL

The Tampa Bay Rays made the playoffs last year on the last day. Now they are chasing the Baltimore Orioles for AL East supremacy, at least for the first two months. The Orioles' rise was a surprise, as many predicted the Orioles will wallow through the division cellar, if not the entire American League. However, their offense and pitching has carried them through, with Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, J.J. Hardy and Matt Wieters providing the hot bats, and Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen and Jim Johnson providing the strong arms. Meanwhile, the loss of Evan Longoria didn't hurt the Rays, as the pitching of David Price, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson and unlikely closer Fernando Rodney carrying them.

Most Surprising Teams: NL

A few minutes' drive from the Orioles park were another surprise team. The Washington Nationals have finally realized the potential of their two young stars in Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. Throw in newly-acquired pitchers Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez, then the Nats have one of the strongest staffs in the National League. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers were playing like it was 1988, as Matt Kemp was supplying the power and Clayton Kershaw the pitching. Even though both teams slowed down a bit due to key injuries (Kemp and Wilson Ramos), they are still holding the fort in the NL East and West, respectively. 

Most Disappointing Teams: AL

The LA Angels of Anaheim are supposed to get stronger with Albert Pujols, but it took 110 at-bats before hitting his first homer. Pujols' struggles also underscores the fact that the Angels were inconsistent from both pitching and offense, despite trailing Texas in the AL West race. The Boston Red Sox  failed to find a groove under new manager Bobby Valentine, as injuries, poor defense and pitching, unconventional lineup changes and cold offense dragged them to the AL East cellar, though they soon rebounded at the end of May.

Most Disappointing Teams: NL

They faced off in the postseason a year ago, yet the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks were back into their doghouse ways. The loss of Prince Fielder and the offseason distractions on NL MVP Ryan Braun affected the offensive production of the Brewers, and even their pitching was suspect. The Diamondbacks staff were likewise a far cry from last year, despite adding Trevor Cahill to the staff. Any hope of a turnaround will need a tweak or two to change their fortunes.

Most Valuable Player: AL

After suffering from an alcohol relapse in the offseason, Josh Hamilton started out with a blaze of glory. Through the end of May, Hamilton had smacked 21 homers, the most impressive run coming in a game at the Baltimore Orioles on May 8, where he became only the 16th player to drive four home runs. Hamilton's hitting was one of the reasons why the Texas Rangers are leading the American League at this first third of the season. 

Most Valuable Player: NL

Picking up from his best season in Kansas City, Melky Cabrera continued his hot-hitting ways in San Francisco. Through the end of May Cabrera hit .373 with 78 hits, capping off the month by tying Randy Winn's franchise record of 51 hits in a single month. Cabrera has proven to be a good pickup for the Giants, who badly needed offense after missing the playoffs the year after winning the World Series. 

Best Rookie: AL

As much as the offense was carrying the Texas Rangers, it was the pitching that is helping them win. They have a plethora of great arms like Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and closer-turned-starter Neftali Feliz, but Yu Darvish has proven to be an excellent pickup by the defending AL champions, winning seven decisions through nine games. And while he is still finding his way in the United States, Darvish's future appears to be in good hands. 

Oh, and he also won the AL Best Pitcher too.

Best Rookie: NL

Even though he debuted in the majors late in April, Bryce Harper broke out in a big way, impressing fans and other players alike with his speed and hitting prowess. One play against the Phillies showed how fast Harper can be, stealing home plate past Carlos Ruiz for a run. Then during the month of May Harper hit his first four Major League homers, while averaging .274 for the season. Along with Stephen Strasburg, Harper is now a major cornerstone the suddenly contending Nationals can build on. 

Best Pitcher: AL

(see AL Best Rookie Yu Darvish)

Best Pitcher: NL

Lance Lynn was a reliever last year, helping the St. Louis Cardinals win through his strong arms and keen sense of the strike zone. This season, Lynn became a starter after losing ace Chris Carpenter to injury, and he did not disappoint. Through nine games, Lynn led the National League with eight wins, helping the Cardinals continue their winning ways despite losing franchise leader Albert Pujols to the Angels.

2012 NBA Playoffs Preview: Conference Finals

Only four teams remain in the NBA Playoffs, and at the end of the series, only two will hoist the silver ball as the Conference champion and the right to challenge for the NBA championship. This is the NBA Conference Finals.

Not surprisingly, two Western Conference contenders will slug it out for a trip to the Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs deserved to be there, and they rolled through two rounds in convincing fashion. Then again, the West will pit the something-to-prove Thunder with their youthful exuberance and growing confidence against the tried and tested Spurs unit whose links from titles past remain and whose young nucleus kept them competitive.  This makes for an exciting and dramatic West final. 

In the East, the demise of the top-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round opened the door for the Miami Heat, or so they thought. Unless the Boston Celtics, whose door seem to have closed until today, still have the legs to roll against the new powerhouse in South Beach. While Miami cruised, Boston struggled at times, but championship pedigree ultimately prevailed. The East final will be a physical, downright ugly series, and a psychological warfare between an aging and a tongue-wagging superpower.

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder

Regular Season: San Antonio won 2-1

The Spurs will come out well-rested, again. They have swept their way through the first two rounds, and are facing the Thunder that is also on a roll. Then again, since 2005, teams holding an 8-0 playoff record heading into the conference finals failed to even make the finals, and the Spurs have every reason to be concerned. But the Spurs are the Spurs, with championship experience and new-found consistency that is borne of a new coaching philosophy by Gregg Popovich. As for the Thunder, going even deeper will be their priority.

The Spurs will again roll the dice on championship-tested stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, while the Thunder will bank on Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden to lead the young corps. The x-factors for the series will be San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, Danny Green and Stephen Jackson, and Oklahoma City's Kendrick Perkins, Derek Fisher, Thabo Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka. Unlike the previous two rounds, it won't be a cakewalk for either team, as each game is expected to be competitive and hard-fought. Going six or seven may see how much both teams will grow out of this series.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (4) Boston Celtics

Regular Season: Boston won 3-1

Two days after Christmas, the Miami Heat added to the early season woes of the Boston Celtics with a statement 115-107 win. However, Miami may have underestimated Boston, as the Celtics turned the early-season struggle into a late-season surge, culminating in three victories in April against the Heat, part of a post-All-Star break rally that led to a division title for the green. Then again, just like last year, regular season play won't matter, as Miami have proven last year against Boston. The question is, can it be repeated?

Chris Bosh is expected to return from an abdominal strain sustained in the Indiana series, but is he ready enough? In that series, it was the Wade and LeBron show, as they led Miami's finishing kick with three straight wins to eliminate the Pacers. Meanwhile, Boston seemed a step slow at times against Philadelphia, and even hurt (see Paul Pierce's MCL and Avery Bradley's season-ending shoulder injury), but the 76ers' big-game inexperience ultimately cost them in Game 7. The Heat will have the home-court, the 'championship or bust' attitude, the rest and the fans at their side, while the Celtics will need guts, wisdom and heart to overcome the younger Heat. If this is the war to end all wars, this is it. They have split each playoff series the past two seasons, and the rubber matches expect more of the blood between two powerhouses. 

2012 Stanley Cup Finals Preview

The playoffs began with 16 teams. Along the way 14 teams went down, most of them Cup favorites with high expectations. And then there were two. Welcome to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Two teams that started the season with little expectations exceeded them during three tough rounds of playoff hockey. Now they are the last two standing, and neither expects to lay a finger on one another. 

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings

Regular Season: New Jersey won 2-0

The Kings made it to the finals with a mix of gutsy goaltending, solid forechecking and hitting, and penalty kill efficiency. They lost only twice on the way to the Finals, but own a perfect road record heading in, which may concern the Devils, who will have home ice advantage. However, the Devils did play dominant hockey as well, returning to the defensive-minded approach that served them in three Stanley Cup wins whilst remaining true to its offensive prowess. 

The Kings ousted top-seeded Vancouver, second seed St. Louis, and third seed Phoenix, while the Devils took care of third seed Florida, fifth seed Philadelphia, and top-seeded New York Rangers. The Devils own three Cup wins, the Kings none, which may explain the added hunger and motivation for Los Angeles to join its sports brethren in the championship haul.

Behind the pipes, resurgent 40-year old Martin Brodeur faces breakout star Jonathan Quick. Brodeur may have experience, but Quick has the momentum, continuing his impressive play from the regular season. This time Quick received a lot of help from an inconsistent Kings offense, which caught fire, especially in short-handed situations. Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown each scored shorthanded in the playoffs, while Dwight King, a minor-league pickup, showed plenty of offense during the run. The Kings' forecheck, trapping and hitting game will play its biggest role in the series. However, making up for the lack of championship pedigree is another story.

The Devils showed plenty of life offensively, led by its top scorers Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac and Zach Parise. Meanwhile, Andy Greene, Bryce Salvador and Marek Zidlicky's play evoked memories of the defense corps led by Ken Daneyko, Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens, at least on the defensive part. There is plenty of experience on the Devils camp, especially with Brodeur, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora having won a Stanley Cup with the team. There is little doubt the Devils possess the mentality of a winner, especially with the presence of a few links from Cups past. 

At the start of the season, little was expected for the Kings and the Devils. Now that they're four wins away from the Cup, what's more to expect? May the best team win. 

2012 NBA Playoffs Preview: Western Conference Semifinals

Two sweeps, two series ending in seventh games. That's how the Western Conference playoff bracket played out. Two teams head into Round 2 well-rested, while two others head back into action seemingly worn, but eager to play. Without further ado, here are the two conference semifinal pairings out West.

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

Regular Season: San Antonio won 2-1

The Spurs made the playoffs look easy in a four-game sweep of the Utah Jazz, while the Clippers left the Grizzlies series a battered and bruised crew. The aging Spurs head into the matchup well-rested and fresh, while the Clippers need to muster ounces of remaining energy left just to have a chance against the experienced Spurs.

The Spurs are still the domain of their leading trio in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, and in the Utah series they exploited the Jazz's lack of experience. The bench depth also contributed in giving the Big Three ample rest. Against the Clippers, the Spurs will again rely on their experience advantage coupled with much-needed rest during the week. Meanwhile, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are limited by hip and knee injuries, while Caron Butler played with a broken hand and Mo Williams went through an arm injury as the Clippers slipped past the Grizzlies in Game 7. The question is, however, will rust play a role early on, and how much has the Clippers left against a fresher, more experienced unit?

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers

Regular Season: Oklahoma City won 2-1

Simply put, the Thunder were a young, maturing unit, while the Lakers were a team starting to show wear and tear. And Derek Fisher is playing against his former team for the first time in the playoffs. Storylines notwithstanding, the Thunder head into this matchup fresher, having not played in a week, while the Lakers came in after a grueling seven-game marathon with the Nuggets. The series will feature several major characters returning from their previous playoff meeting two years earlier.

Metta World Peace was fortunate that he fulfilled his seven-game suspension during the Denver series, but his actions against James Harden prior to the suspension won't receive him any fans in OKC. The focus of attention however, will be on Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, and on how Durant has learned from 2010. The Thunder made a big addition in Kendrick Perkins last year, mainly to counter Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum's mastery of the paint. The growth of Harden and Russell Westbrook, along with Fisher's championship pedigree, helped the Thunder become a more dangerous unit. If the Thunder play with their strengths, watch out as they may end the series quickly against a Lakers team whose flair for the dramatic nearly eliminated them.