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Urbandale (IA) Three former Des Moines Buccaneers have advanced in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping their various teams to the conference semi-finals and closer to one of sports' most prized trophies.
Davis Drewiske and Trevor Lewis with Los Angeles and Matt Read with Philadelphia were on winning teams during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Los Angeles, the eighth seed in the Western Conference, stunned the defending conference champion Vancouver Canucks in six games. Plagued by injuries most of the season, Drewiske didn't dress in the series but Lewis had a goal and an assist while recording his first two postseason points in his career. The Kings are currently facing the St. Louis Blues in the conference semi-finals.
Philadelphia, the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, outlasted Pittsburgh in a high scoring and emotionally charged six game series with Read carrying over his stellar rookie season into the playoffs. Read had two goals and two assists in the series in helping the Flyers move to the second round where they are taking on the New Jersey Devils.
Former Buccaneer, and Urbandale native, Scott Clemmensen was on the Florida team which was bounced in seven games by New Jersey in their opening round series. Clemmensen appeared in three games going 1-2 with a 2.36 GAA and a save percentage of .920.
Along with the former Buccaneers in the National Hockey League, a handful of alumni were participants in various minor-pro league playoffs but only Joe Pisklua and Brian Foster remain active, both in the American Hockey League.
Piskula's Abbotsford Heat are in the Western Conference semi-finals against Toronto while Foster's San Antonio Rampage are in the Western Conference semi-finals versus Oklahoma City.
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