Cannot believe the Los Angeles Kings have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals! And same for the New Jersey Devils. Obviously, I have to root for the team I grew up with as a kid. But everything I learned in my time following the Kings leads me to believe something will happen to screw it up again. We'll just have to wait and see.

Go Kings, go!

Lisa's Mid-season NHL Awards

Saw an article on CBS Sports, and figured I'd take a crack at naming my mid-season NHL awards for 2011-12!

Hart: Claude Giroux - hands down, this kid is the real deal. Hope he can stay healthy the rest of the year, and claim the real Hart in June!

Vezina: Henrik Lundqvist - I think it's time that everyone realizes he's *the* reason the Rangers have been as good as they are. He plays a ton of minutes, and is very reliable. Will be interesting to see if he can take it to the next level in the playoffs.

Norris: Zdeno Chara - You want to call me a homer, but you have to admit Chara's been phenomenal this year. Yes, Shea Weber is also fantastic, but Chara has a decisive edge when it comes to +/-, +27 to +12. The Bruins shut down the other teams' offense, and a main reason is Chara.

Calder: Adam Henrique - As a Devils season ticket holder, I've seen this kid in a number of games. He's quick, smart, and he definitely flies under the radar. If for some reason the Devils can't win the shoot-out with their first three guys (Kovalchuk, Parise, Elias), they've got Henrique at four. They've got a lot of faith in him and so do I. If he stays healthy, he has the edge over Nuge, and he'll win in June.

Jack Adams: Paul MacLean, though I've been saying I think the Senators will be back in the playoffs before the Leafs! He's done a phenomenal job with this team, one that most figured would be competing for a lottery pick.

Selke: Patrice Bergeron - This guy is insane and it's high-time he gets some recognition. I attribute the growth of both Seguin & Marchand, Bergeron's line-mates, to him. He's a great leader and such a responsible player.

Best Surprise: Ottawa not sucking. I thought they'd be better than the Leafs, but didn't think they'd be doing this well.

Biggest Disappointment: Los Angeles Kings. Seriously?! This was supposed to be their year. I have no clue how they manage to suck year in, year out. Though I guess I really shouldn't be surprised after spending my youth following them. Curse of McSorely's Curved Stick.

Best Acquisition: Ian White - What a bargain! How on earth did they get him to sign under $3 million?

Worst Acquisition: Tomas Kaberle - Seriously Carolina?! If the Bruins didn't want him, you must have known something was up. He's lazy and out of shape. But I guess I don't have to tell you guys that. Luckily you were able to get rid of him.