Junior's Reading And Viewing List: March 1 - 2, 2010

Last Update - March 3, 2010 at 4:21 AM EST

The links below should help you catch up with anything you've missed, or haven't gotten enough of, over the first couple days of March. Your internet transport awaits you in the 'Reading And Viewing List' for March 1 through March 2, 2010.


March 2, 2010

When JonVechkin speaks, people listen
Posted by tj at Alex Ovetjkin

Jon Press oversees Japers' Rink, a website dedicated to all things Washington Capitals, and the NHL in general. Mick had a chance to talk hockey with J.P. on The War Room, and they touched upon the Caps, hockey websites, and the recent Winter Olympics.

Japers Rink Interview On The War Room (www.xmhomeice.com)...

Ferrari feeling positive for Bahrain
Posted at Formula1.com

Ferrari are in a confident mood for the season ahead after the F10 passed its final winter test with flying colours. Drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa both enjoyed top-three placings during last week’s four-day session at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya and reliably completed over 400 laps of the Spanish track...

The Washington Capitals at the Deadline:
A Look at Potential Targets
By David M. Getz at Japers' Rink

The NHL's trade deadline is now barely more than a day away, and the Capitals posses a rare combination that makes it likely they'll be a major player: prospects and salary cap space. That the team is already a legitimate Cup contender doesn't hurt either...

With that in mind, we thought we'd take a look at the Caps' most pressing needs, and who they might look at to address them...

'The Crazies' Director Says His 'Flash Gordon' Movie
Is 'Not A Remake'
By Blair Marnell at MTV's Splash Page

"Flash Gordon" — one of the original sci-fi action heroes — has been absent from movie screens for 30 years and largely out of the public consciousness aside from a few attempts to revive the character on television and in comics. In 2008, Breck Eisner — director of "The Crazies" remake which opened last weekend — was signed to helm Gordon's return to film for Sony Pictures...

'Thor' Updates From Kat Dennings And Jaimie Alexander
By Blair Marnell at MTV's Splash Page


As director Kenneth Brannagh's adaptation of "Thor" enters its second month of principal photography, actress Jaimie Alexander — who will portray Sif — has continued to provide constant updates via her twitter account. With production of the film scheduled to move from Los Angeles to Santa Fe, New Mexico; Alexander may have inadvertently revealed a minor plot point of the upcoming film...


Exclusive Ross Brawn Q&A: We're targeting victory in Bahrain
Posted at Formula1.com

Ross Brawn is renowned for his no-nonsense approach, so it’s no surprise that the Mercedes GP team principal is keen to avoid speculation about the MGP W01’s competitiveness ahead of this month’s season-opener in Bahrain. However, with a big upgrade set to be introduced at the Sakhir race, Brawn is confident seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and team mate Nico Rosberg will have cars that are capable of challenging at the front...

Channeling Pain Into Productivity
By DC Sports Chick at On Frozen Blog

The Washington Post’s Tarik El-Bashir has an article in today’s paper about Jose Theodore and the struggles he’s faced since the death of his infant son last year. The tragedy has been extremely difficult for him and his family, but one positive thing has come out of it. Theodore started a charity, Saves For Kids, that will benefit Children’s National Medical Center. Professionally, after some early-season struggles, he has played very well, despite the thoughts that torment him on a regular basis...

In Canada, Even Pets Watched Sunday’s Gold Medal Game
By pucksandbooks at On Frozen Blog

It was a bit of a riptide that swirled across and through new media yesterday afternoon — more than 27 million Americans tuned in to the gold medal game on Sunday, making it the highest rated hockey on television in the States in 30 years. You had to go all the way back to Lake Placid and the Miracle on Ice weekend to beat the numbers NBC enjoyed on Sunday. Then the tsunami arrived: up in Canada, home to 33 million Canucks, 26.5 million in touques tuned in to some portion of the gold medal game on Sunday...

Corona Rally Mexico on wrc.com
Posted at WRC.com

Set the controls to hot and dusty, because on Friday 5 March the World Rally Championship cuts loose on the first gravel round of the season - Corona Rally Mexico.

It's an event not to be missed. But if you can't make it there in person don't panic - you can follow all of the action LIVE and FREE here on wrc.com...

Top five the target for Stobart team
Posted at WRC.com

Stobart Ford team drivers Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg are hoping their previous experience on Rally Mexico - and a return to the gravel surface they both enjoy - will be enough for the team to take a top five finish this week...

Villagra and the Munchis Team make their return
Posted at WRC.com

Five months after wrapping up its 2009 campaign on the Rally de Espana, The Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team will return to the World Rally Championship this week, when its 2010 programme kicks off with Rally Mexico.

The event will be the first of eight rallies this year for the Argentine squad using a Ford Focus RS WRC piloted by the crew of Federico Villagra and co-driver Jorge Perez Companc...

March 1, 2010

Capitals GM George McPhee Answered Questions From Media About Trade Deadline, Etc.
Posted on Caps365 at WashingtonCaps.com




Bruce Boudreau Talked To Media After First Post 2010 Olympics Practice
Posted on Caps365 at WashingtonCaps.com




Alex Ovechkin Spoke To Media After First Practice Back
From 2010 Vancouver Olympics
Posted on Caps365 at WashingtonCaps.com




Back injury scuppers Raikkonen's Mexico test
Posted at WRC.com

Kimi Raikkonen will start Rally Mexico without having driven his Citroen C4 for any significant time on gravel, after a back injury forced the cancellation of a pre-event test...

Q&A with Bridgestone’s Hirohide Hamashima
Posted at Formula1.com

Over the course of last week’s test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, the 11 teams in action managed to complete extensive mileage at the Spanish circuit. With the squads using all four compounds of Bridgestone's dry tyre range, it proved an equally busy time for the tyre manufacturer’s engineers. Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Hirohide Hamashima reviews the four-day session...

Exclusive interview with Virgin's Timo Glock
Posted at Formula1.com

More than five seconds off the pace of the frontrunners, and with just 209 laps to show from seven days of testing, Virgin’s Timo Glock could be forgiven for becoming disillusioned with progress at his new team. Glock, however, is determined to keep his chin up ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and remains hopeful they’ll eventually gain ground on their rivals...

Citroen Junior Team set for Mexico debut
Posted at WRC.com

While Citroen as a manufacturer heads to America looking for a fourth consecutive victory on Rally Mexico, the event will be an all-new experience for the Citroen Junior Team, which goes there for the first time.

Established in 2009, the year Mexico did not count as part of the WRC, The Citroen Juniors will run two C4 World Rally Cars in this year's rally for French rising star Sebastien Ogier and Finland's Formula One convert Kimi Raikkonen...

Disabled AC/DC Fan Impaled In Mosh Pit In Australia
By Nightwatcher at Nightwatcher's House Of Rock

A quadriplegic AC/DC fan suffered serious facial injuries when a mate accidentally hit the joystick of his motorized wheelchair and catapulted him into the mosh pit during a concert at the Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre on Saturday night...

Detroit Success
By Lobese (Monica Lo) at Lobese

...From dinner at The Majestic Cafe to bowling at The Garden Bowl to the party in the hotel lobby- the entire weekend felt natural, like catching up with old friends. I guess that's the beauty of social networking- we all learn bits and pieces of each other and the rest is just filling it in the gaps.

And just when we thought it couldn't get any better-

Mission Control took us to Ford's Proving Grounds and taught us how to drive stick! They hired a bunch of professional race car driving instructors from California to (very patiently) ease us into it...

Block on winning form in America
Posted at WRC.com


Monster World Rally Team driver Ken Block will tackle Rally Mexico after a successful weekend in his national series when he took a fifth consecutive win in the 100 Acre Wood Rally.

The Missouri-based event, round two of the Rally America Championship, concluded on Saturday 27 February and was won by Block, and co-driver Alex Gelsomino, in an open class Ford Fiesta...


Olympic Hockey To Remember — and Perpetuate
By The OFB Team at On Frozen Blog

Just how good was hockey in Vancouver’s Olympics, and what should the future of the Games hold in terms of the NHL’s participation? We share our post-Olympics thoughts...

Hard Rock Hell IV: First Bands Announced
By mdome at Classic Rock

The first bands have been confirmed for Hard Rock Hell IV – and they include Skid Row, Michael Schenker Group, Enuff Z’Nuff and LA Guns.

The action happens at Pontins in Prestatyn, North Wales from December 3-5, with everything kicking off on December 2 for the real diehards...

Toto Re-form For European Tour
By mdome at Classic Rock

Toto are to re-form for a summer tour of Europe.

This is being done in honour of former bassist Mike Porcaro who is suffering from ALS (Lou Gerhig’s) disease...

Ford team hopes to keep its grip
Posted at WRC.com

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team journeys to Rally Mexico, the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship, intent on extending its lead in both the manufacturers' and drivers' standings.

Victory for Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and third for team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in Sweden last month means the team heads both championships with the Ford Focus RS World Rally Car...

Happy Birthday To Brian Sutherby!
(Former Washington Capitals player)

Junior's Reading And Viewing List: February 25 - 26, 2010

Last Update - February 27, 2010 at 5:33 AM EST

Here is the 'Reading And Viewing List' for February 25 through February 26, 2010. This batch is packing some substance, so read on.


February 26, 2010

United States routs Finland, 6-1, to reach Olympic men's hockey gold medal game
By Associated Press at The Washington Post

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- The torment began almost immediately.

The shot by Ryan Malone of the United States into an open net left Finland goalie Miikka Kiprusoff staring at the ceiling and shaking his head...

Boudreau puts Caps through grueling practice
By Mark Giannotto at Capitals Insider

Capitals forward Mike Knuble had trouble remembering a practice this year that featured as much skating as Bruce Boudreau put his players through this morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Boudreau had steadily been ramping up the conditioning since the Capitals' non-Olympic players returned to the ice Wednesday after a 10-day break, but this workout was clearly the toughest...

Dani Sordo Q&A
Posted at WRC.com

First of all, Rally Sweden. Were you happy or disappointed with your fourth place in the opening round of the season?
“It’s obvious that I’d have preferred to finish on the podium, but fourth place is a fairly normal one for me in a winter rally. What I do remember is that I had a very good first day. I’d prepared really well for this event and I was able to match Seb’s and Mikko’s pace right away on these very fast stages...

A Real Medal-Winning Hockey Mom
By Hockey Mom at Musings Of A Hockey Mom

Despite last night's disappointing loss to Team Canada, Team USA's Women's Hockey Team has much to be proud of! They fought hard to the end and represented the red, white and blue gloriously throughout these games. Hockey Mom has a special place in her heart for Team USA's Jenny Potter - who not only earned two hat tricks in these games, but is a "true" hockey mom in every sense of the word,...

Batman Beats Superman In Comic Auction, 'Detective Comics' #27 Sells For $1.075 Million
By Rick Marshall at MTV's Splash Page

Chalk one up for The Dark Knight in the eternal debate over whether Batman could beat Superman. Just a few days after Superman's debut in "Action Comics" #1 set a new record at the auction block with a winning bid of $1 million, Batman upped the ante with a $1,075,000 sale of "Detective Comics" #27, featuring the character's first appearance...

Countdown to Rally Mexico
Posted at WRC.com


After a freezing start on the snowy roads of Sweden, the FIA World Rally Championship heads to the heat and dust of Rally Mexico for round two - the only WRC event on the American continent this year.

Based in the city of Leon, 400km north-west of Mexico City, the rally made its debut on the WRC calendar in 2004 and returns after a year's absence in 2009. Always a popular event with the fanatical Mexican rally fans, this year's edition comes with extra cause for celebration as the country marks the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution and the 200th anniversary of its independence...

Ozzy Vs. Iommi: Carry On Suing
By mdome at Classic Rock

Ozzy Osbourne’s lawsuit against Tony Iommi over the use of the Black Sabbath name is to carry on.

Ozzy is suing Iommi for a 50 percent share in the name, after the guitarist is alleged to have tried to take sole ownership by filing it with the US Patent And Trademark Office last year...

Male Numbness
By Kameron at I May Have Been Born Yesterday
But I Stayed Up All Night

A few days ago, a woman I know in the Real World asked about my entry on the Marriage Strike.

She was specifically interested in how I wrote that I might be classified as part of the marriage strike because I hadn't even tried to get a date in a long time. She asked how long it'd been since I tried to get a date. I told her...

Tom Petty Gets His Mojo Working
By mdome at Classic Rock

There’s a new Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers album on the way.

It’s to be titled Mojo and should be released in the spring, to coincide with a US tour. This will be the first album from the band since The Last DJ eight years ago.

For further info, go to http://www.tompetty.com/

Original AC/DC Singer To Tour UK
By mdome at Classic Rock

Original AC/DC vocalist Dave Evans has lined up a series of British shows for this spring...

February 25, 2010

Rolling Stones Unearth 10 New Tracks For 'Exile' Reissue
By Nightwatcher at Nightwatcher's House Of Rock

The Rolling Stones, who have long resisted releasing archival material, will include 10 previously unheard songs in an upcoming reissue of "Exile on Main Street," the group's representatives said on Thursday...

A meltdown of Chernobyl proportions (update)
By tj at Alex Ovetjkin

As you probably know the Russian President has cancelled his visit to Vancouver for closing ceremony. And you guess it right, it's related to a hockey meltdown of team Russia vs. Canada.

Yes, it goes back to 1972 and it's all about the national pride and the way how Canadians humiliated the Russians, beat them up and broke Kharlamov's ankle. This would be remembered a thousand years from now. It's not that the Russians didn't deliver the same blows to Canadians, in 1981 Canada Cup they won 8:1 with Canada having such stars as Gretzky, Lafleur, Bossy, Perreault, Ray Bourque and Robinson. For Russians the game that will be remembered the most will be the win over Canada. You can lose to Finns, Swedes, Americans, Czechs, but the one that will hurt for a long time will be the loss to Canada...

Cam Janssen gets five games (updated)
By Tarik El-Bashir at Capitals Insider

The NHL delivered another stern message regarding head shots this afternoon when it suspended St. Louis enforcer Cam Janssen five games, without pay, for elbowing Matt Bradley in the face on Feb. 13.

Janssen's punishment, according to the league, was for "a late hit to the head delivered to an unsuspecting forward." The Blues winger was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct after nailing Bradley with a forearm/elbow to the face as the Washington winger looked around to follow a pass he had just made...

Mike Green on watching the Olympics from home:
'My time will come'
By Mark Giannotto at Capitals Insider

Capitals defenseman Mike Green always imagined watching Wednesday's epic Canada-Russia Olympic hockey game from ice level, a red and white jersey on, and his name stitched to the back. But because he was one of the odd men out when the roster for the Canadian Olympic team was announced last month, Green took in his home country's 7-3 triumph over Russia on Wednesday in front of a fireplace while sitting in a La-Z-Boy at the home of goalie Jose Theodore...

Blues Legend B.B. King Keeps On Rolling With 2010 Tour Dates
By Nightwatcher at Nightwatcher's House Of Rock

LiveDaily is reporting that with a winter tour alongside Buddy Guy recently wrapped, B.B. King has mapped a round of solo dates that rounds out the winter and runs into late 2010...

Ovechkin after loss: "We Tried, and Did Everything We Could"
Posted by tuvanhillbilly at Japers' Rink

Photo by Reuters Pictures

Thanks to Dmitry Chesnokov for alerting us via his twitters (you are following him, right?) to this piece on the Sovetsky Sport website on the press conference that Alex Ovechkin gave to the Russian press following the crushing defeat by Canada today.

***

After the game Alexander Ovechkin answered some questions from reporters, and among them was Sovetsky Sport correspondent Pavel Lysenkov...

Mike Milbury not a fan of Russia's 'Eurotrash game'
By Sean Leahy at Puck Daddy

Mike Milbury and controversy are real good friends. Sometimes he's found using shoes in various ways; or inciting Washington Capitals fans by calling them the "Crapitals"; or mixing it up with bloggers outside of an elevator. To the hockey community, Milbury is that crazy uncle who embarrasses everyone around him whenever he opens his mouth...

Alex Ovechkin, Russia go out with a thud
By Slava Malamud of Russia's Sport-Express at Heavy Medal

The dominating performance of Team Canada in Wednesday night's quarterfinal against Russia provided perhaps one of the most anticlimactic moments of the Games. Not only did the expected Dream Final not manifest itself, even the Dream Quarterfinal turned out to be lopsided...

Junior's Reading And Viewing List: February 6 - 7, 2010

Last Update - February 8, 2010 at 10:29 PM EST

It was a wild and snowy first weekend of February. Here's the 'Reading And Viewing List' for February 6 through February 7, 2010.


February 7, 2010

Caps 5 - Penguins 4 (OT) The Most Exciting Game Yet This Season
By Usually Frustrated Caps Fan at Mark's Musings

...In the end it was a TWO point game for the Capitals, and man am I ever glad I spent all that time shoveling out my driveway yesterday and my Subaru Outback Sedan has almost as much ground clearance as an SUV so I could get to the game. Truthfully, today's game was about as good as a regular season game could get when it comes to watching a really, really good and exciting hockey game...

Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals Game Highlights
And Analysis
Posted at Comcast SportsNet - Washington, DC

Right click on video to choose full screen option.

Postgame Notebook: Capitals 5, Penguins 4, OT
By Mike Vogel - Senior Writer at WashingtonCaps.com

Flightless Fowl Fall Victim to 14th – The Washington Capitals are now owners of the longest winning streak in the NHL since the Pittsburgh Penguins set the record with 17 straight in 1992-93.

In one of the most thrilling games ever at Verizon Center, the Capitals spotted the Penguins a 4-1 second period lead before roaring back with four unanswered goals to take a 5-4 overtime decision and...

Bruce Boudreau Spoke To Media After Win
Over Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted on Caps365 at WashingtonCaps.com

Washington Capitals Players Speak To Media After Win
Over Visiting Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted on Caps365 at WashingtonCaps.com

Musings of a Snow Refugee
By pucksandbooks at On Frozen Blog

Never has a hockey rink seemed as warm as entering Verizon Center did to me this morning. Like so many thousands around our region, I’ve been without power in my home since late Friday night. I got to see all of the Capitals’ victory over Atlanta, and not long into the Comcast post-game the fatal and lasting and extinguishing power surge arrived...

Super Bowl Commercials: The Five Greatest Comic Book Cameos
By Brian Warmoth at MTV's Splash Page

Paramount's reported decision to buy ad spots during Super Bowl XLIV for "The Last Airbender" and "Shutter Island" instead of reserving a slot for a new "Iron Man 2" trailer might go down as the biggest Big Game disappointment...

Ovechkin’s incredible charisma and verve
Posted by tj at Alex Ovetjkin

That's what Jeff Klein and Stu Hackel are saying comparing Ovi and Kovy.

And Bucci predicts Ovi vs. Kovy in Eastern Conference finals. No Pens?...

Caps Play Host to Pens
By Mike Vogel - Senior Writer at WashingtonCaps.com

Seventeen days after Washington skated off with a 6-3 win in the first meeting of the season between the Caps and Pens in Pittsburgh, the two old Patrick Division rivals will renew acquaintances at Verizon Center. The Capitals will be seeking to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 14 games...

February 6, 2010

Jeff Beck Announces June U.S. Tour Dates
By Nightwatcher at Nightwatcher's House Of Rock

Guitar legend Jeff Beck has announced the second leg of the worldwide tour promoting his first album in seven years, 'Emotion & Commotion'...

It's Official I'm A Wimp and Caps Take The Streak
To A Baker's Dozen...
By Usually Frustrated Caps Fan at Mark's Musings

It's probably official - I'm a wimp. I thought about going to Friday night's game but Bristow is 32 miles from Verizon Center and when I went outside to see about going to the game, I saw 3" of snow on the ground already and it was coming down hard...

A Heartbreaking Loss for Maple Leaf's Brian Burke
By Hockey Mom at Musings Of A Hockey Mom

As hockey fans in the Washington, D.C. area awoke to a raging blizzard, the hockey world was dealing with the terrible news that Brian Burke, General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the 2010 USA Men's Olympic Hockey Team, lost his 21-year old son Brendan in a car crash yesterday...

John Erskine's fight and Ovechkin's goal while driving in DC
Posted by tj at Alex Ovetjkin

...It beats me how Chris Thorburn could survive John Erskine's left. As soon as the fight was over Thorburn hurried off the ice, "Enough for me"...
*Dan, Jr. / Junior's Eyes Note: Post includes four videos.

More Deluxe Edition Releases - Dio Era
By by Joe Siegler at Black Sabbath Online

As you probably know, there were several remasters released in 2009 from Sanctuary/Universal records in the UK. These were based off the original UK set of album masters (as opposed to the US/Warner set which resulted in Black Box & Rules of Hell). The first three Sabbath albums were released in multi disc format with extras, demos, and alternate tracks. Volume 4 through Never Say Die were released in single disc, albeit remastered form...

On the Ice and In the Closet
By Chasta Piatakovas at Love The Game, Don't Like Puck Bunnies

A 17-year-old high school hockey player knows all too well the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy in hockey...

Joe Perry: ‘Tyler’s Still In Aerosmith’
By mdome at Classic Rock

Joe Perry has exclusively told Classic Rock that Steven Tyler will remain a member of Aerosmith, even though another singer is being brought in...

Happy 54th Birthday Bruce Boudreau

Bruce Boudreau, head coach of the Washington Capitals, turned 54 years old today. Happy Birthday Bruce! I hope you get the present you want, even if that's "just" a win in tonight's game. I should think winning ten straight at home, and earning an assistant coaching job for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game would be a good one. Good Luck.

Crosby, The Asstounding All-Star

I can't believe I'm writing a post about the jerkwad known as Sidney Crosby, but here it is. Don't worry. It's not just about Crosby, and I'll keep it short. Basically, just pointing out the thoughts of a few fellow bloggers, in light of the results of this season's stupid NHL All-Star voting.

Sidney Crosby won first place, breaking the previous record number of votes. Well, good for him. However, Alex Ovechkin didn't even make the starting lineup. That's right. The league's best player will be watching from the bench when the game starts. What the fv[%? The whole process is a joke, with unlimited voting. Lets face it. The basically no real contact allowed policy of the modern day All-Star game makes it a pretty boring event these days anyway.

Over at Caps Blue Line, DMG posted a couple videos that made me think two nicknames for Crosby could easily be "Nut Job" and "Puss On Skates". Meanwhile, Dan Steinberg, of D.C. Sports Bog fumes over the All-Star voting mockery. Finally, check out Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Broudreau's comments on the matter, via Tarik El-Bashir's Capitals Insider.

Thrashers Vs Capitals 11/26/2008 Review

Superman Alex Ovechkin flies over Thrasher goal crease.

Thrashers 3 - Capitals 5

The Washington Capitals improved their home ice record to 8-0-1 with a win over the Atlanta Thrashers Wednesday evening, on the NHL's 91st Birthday. As of November 27, 2008, the only other team in the league to have no loses within regulation at this point in the season being the San Jose Sharks.

The Capitals managed this convincing win even though they now have eight players, seven regulars and Brian Pothier (out since last season), on the injured list. Four of those players lost after their last game, which prompted a four man call up from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Washington also just returned from a long, rough Western road trip. Netminder Jose Theodore and the Caps played like they were well rested while the Thrashers, who just played a game Tuesday night, looked a little sluggish at first.

Viktor Kozlov (center) celebrates goal with Alex Ovechkin (left)
and Nicklas Backstrom (right).

Alex Ovechkin got the party started with a long range blast from the top of an umbrella formation at 3:29 into the first period, while on the first power play of the game. About four minutes later, winger Eric Fehr scored Washington's second goal at even strength, while on a 3 on 1 breakaway with Tomas Fleischmann and Michael Nylander. Atlanta's Bryan Little answered back with a PP goal at 12:08, off an Ilya Kovalchuk rebound. Down by two goals, the Thrash wouldn't get any closer than that the rest of the evening. At 14:01, Ovechkin scored another Capitals' PPG. As with his first, one of the assists came from Viktor Kozlov.

Just 54 seconds into the second period, Ovechkin snapped in his twelfth goal of the season for his sixth NHL career hat trick. That's three goals in three shots on goal, all within a 17:25 game time span. Atlanta's second PP goal of the game came on Slava Kozlov's 12th goal of the season, which he scored off one of a couple rebounds. The period ended with the Caps ahead by two.

Karl Alzner skates with Milan Jurcina in his first NHL game.

The third period started like the first two, with an early period goal by the Capitals. This time it was Kozlov, assisted by Ovechkin. Ovie served up an outlet pass to Kozzy, who skated smoothly up the middle of the ice and easily deposited the biscuit past Ondrej Pavelec, just under the crossbar of the goal. Atlanta's Nathan Oystrick scored the final goal of the game at 12:28 into the third, when his slapshot deflected off of defenseman Tyler Sloan.

All the Caps played well in this game, including the four call ups from Hershey. It was Karl Alzner's very first career NHL game, and he did very well. Alex Ovechkin now has 12 goals and 17 assists this season, putting him (29 points) ahead of former scoring leader for the team, Alexander Semin (27 points). Ovechkin achieved his hat trick in a total on ice time of 8:20, and he almost had a fourth goal a few times. Obviously, it was good to see Washington score on a couple of power plays. The PP is starting to work well for the Caps. The win is sure to have lifted the spirits of future AHL Hall Of Famer and current Capitals' Head Coach Bruce Boudreau, the players and the fans, after having lost three straight on the road.

All November 26, 2008 Photos by Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP

Boudreau Preseason Oct. 2008 WPL Clips

Since fans can't get enough of the Washington Capitals' Head Coach, here are a couple more video clips of Bruce Boudreau. These Bits o' Bruce (Sounds like a pregame or postgame show) have been posted elsewhere, but I've put them on for those who haven't caught them.

Washington Post Live (CSN) - Part 1



Washington Post Live (CSN) - Part 2

Capitals Preseason Oct. 2008 CSN Clips

It's almost here. Hockey finally starts tomorrow night for the Washington Capitals and their rabid fans. Giddyness (Is that a real word?) is reaching it's maximum level, as we await that first puck drop.

Here are a couple of this week's preseason clips from Comcast SportsNet, to help you get ready.

Lisa Hillary and Bruce Boudreau at the HOF



Chris Clark and George McPhee on Alex Ovechkin

Capitals On Comcast SportsNet Sept. 2008 Part 3

Check out the latest Comcast SportsNet video clips pertaining to the Washington Capitals. The Rookie Camp has ended and this season's Training Camp officially started today, so there will be more familiar faces showing up in the sports news reports now.

Bruce Boudreau says winning the Stanley Cup is their Goal 09/19/2008



Alex Ovechkin at Hair Cuttery Photo Shoot 09/19/2008

Capitals On Comcast SportsNet Sept. 2008 Part 1

It's becoming obvious that the 2008-2009 NHL Hockey season is getting close to starting, as Comcast SportsNet began to increase coverage of the Washington Capitals this past week.

The folowing videos include some interesting early September activity. The first shows the local media at a one day fantasy camp type event, getting instruction from goalie Brent Johnson and tough guy forward Donald Brashear. The second is Cap's head coach Bruce Boudreau being his usual entertaining self on Washington Post Live.

Local Media at Capitals Fantasy Camp 09/09/2008



Coach Boudreau on WPL 09/09/2008

Ovechkin Is Good With Kids

Photo from Getty Images

Well ladies, as if you needed another reason to fantasize about someday marrying Washington Capitals' superstar hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, he spent today showing how he's good with kids.

For Ovechkin, Monday September 15th was all about the kids. After checking with Coach Boudreau first thing this morning, Alex skated with the youngsters during their second day at Rookie Camp. Can you imagine what a thrill that must have been? Hey, people shell out good money to play with big name athletes at fantasy camps. These guys were getting to live a dream, while trying to earn there way into the NHL.

Later on, Ovie was working with some more kids. These were a little younger though. This time it was with 6 to 14 year olds in the Crazy Eights Skills Session at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The participants in this event received hands on instruction from Ovechkin. Each of them also got an autograph afterwards. Alex made sure they all had a good time. What a guy!

Bruce Boudreau Takes Over Fan 590 Morning Show

Photo by Al Bello / Getty Images

The Fan 590, which calls itself Toronto's Sports Radio is a Rogers Media Broadcasting Ltd AM radio station. The morning show is usually hosted by Don Landry and former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Gord Stellick. According to WashingtonCaps.com, Capitals' Head Coach Bruce Boudreau will guest host during the 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM morning show on Thursday, July 31st.

I'm sure it will be a good show, with Bruce around. He always has some interesting stories to tell. Coach will probably come up with more than a few funny quotable remarks as well. So flip on The Fan 590 during breakfast or listen on the way to work Thursday, and have an enjoyable hockey filled morning.

Capitals Earn Respect With 2008 Awards

Photo - Al Bello / Getty Images

The Washington Capitals now command a lot of respect, after an award winning 2007-2008 season and 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs berth. The NHL, NHLPA, even the sports news media and local government have spoken. They have made it clear that they admire Alex Ovechkin, Bruce Boudreau, Nicklas Backstrom and the Capitals organization. Washington will no longer be referred to as the lowly Cap's. They now have plenty of hardware that says otherwise.

Capitals fans watched the 2008 NHL Awards Show from home and Verizon Center with joyful anticipation as Ovechkin was rightfully awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award (Player Of The Year) and the Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player). It eased the nerves of some when the Pearson was presented to Alex at the start of the show. We already knew he was getting the Hart. Backstrom did not receive the Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie Of The Year), but second place is obviously still very respectable. Coach Boudreau was presented the Jack Adams Award (Coach Of The Year), after inspiring a last place team enough to get them to the playoffs.

Alex Ovechkin had already received a few other awards. As the league's highest goal scorer (65) he earned the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. Having also led in points (112), Ovechkin won the Art Ross Trophy. For the third straight year, Alex won the Kharlamov Trophy after being voted the best Russian player in the NHL by other Russian players.

Capitals teammates Alex Ovechkin, Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Semin helped lead Team Russia to their first world championship in 15 years at the 2008 IIHF World Championship, held in Halifax and Quebec City, Canada between May 2nd and May 18th. Next year they may be busy going into later rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs instead.

Photo - Mitchell Layton / Getty Images

What all these accolades bring to the Washington Capitals as a team is much the same as it brings to the individuals themselves. It brings a feeling of pride and satisfaction. They know for sure that they can play at an elite level. It makes Washington a desirable organization to belong to. From pee wee league youngsters to NHL superstars, the Capitals are a team most would love to play for. They've earned some serius respect.

Don't Cry, Hockey Doesn't End This Week

Right! The NHL's 2008 Stanley Cup Final will become final when the Detroit Red Wings are awarded the world of sports' most coveted championship trophy either tonight or after a Game 7 on Saturday. That's absolutely true. Sorry Pittsburgh Penguins fans. OK, so I'm not really sorry. My point is that there is so much more to come.

There's the NHL Awards Show in Toronto on June 12, 2008. New season ticket holders for the 2008-2009 season can enjoy the show while picking out their Verizon Center seats at the Washington Capitals Open House that same evening. Of course, Alex Ovechkin is expected to receive another award or two. After already claiming the Maurice "Rocket" Richard and Art Ross Trophies for leading the league with 65 goals and 112 points, he's up for a couple MVP awards as well. We will find out if he got the votes he deserved for the Lester B. Pearson Award and the Hart Memorial Trophy on the 12th. Keep in mind that Nicklas Backstrom may take the Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year, and Bruce Boudreau should get the Jack Adams Award for coaching the team from the cellar to the playoffs.

The 2008 NHL Entry Draft will be held in Ottawa June 20 - 21. According to the NHL, 107 of the best draft eligible players arrived in Toronto last week for the Draft Combine. What do you think the Capitals will be looking for this year? General Manager George McPhee has done very well at the past few Drafts. Will he be as successful this time? It's a very exciting time for serious hockey fans.

On July 1st, hockey continues with the Unrestricted Free Agents hitting the open market. Although it's a more expensive route in acquiring veteran players, McPhee has also fared pretty well with this avenue. However, trades are where you usually get better value for your money. It'll be interesting to see who Washington is able to resign, who we might lose, and who George decides to bring to the team.

Another thing to look forward to is the Capitals Development Camp. Many of the young prospects will attend July 7th - 12th. Coaches and management get a better idea of what they have in the pipeline during this camp.

There really isn't that much down time. Sure, there will be a few weeks in the second half of the summer where things really slow down until training camp starts. But, there's plenty going on for a while yet.

Trophy Photos - NHL, Young Guns Photo/Graphic - Washingtoncaps.com

Panthers Vs Capitals 04/05/2008 Review

Panthers 1 - Capitals 3

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The Washington Capitals beat the Florida Panthers, gaining themselves their first NHL Stanley Cup playoff berth since the 2002-2003 season. Along with getting in at the third seed in the Eastern Conference, they are now this season's Southeast Division Champs. The last time they owned the division crown was at the end of the 2000-2001 season. Officially, it was Fan Appreciation Night, which included the "Shirts Off Our Backs" on ice ceremony after the game. Unofficially, it was also Capitals Appreciation Night. The overjoyed sellout crowd was so loud, they might want to check Verizon Center for structural damage.

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The Capitals started out a little tight in the first period. The Panthers were going all out, hoping to spoil Washington's post season plans. One of the Panthers probably couldn't remember which end of the ice he was heading for, when Donald Brashear knocked him out of the Capitals zone and into the neutral zone. At about six minutes into the game, netminder Cristobal Huet almost helped them out. He seemed to space out for a second. After settling the puck behind the net, he appeared to hand it off to one of the Panthers. Nothing came of it, as he quickly got back in front of the goal. Other than that unfortunate incident, he was very solid. Florida's Craig Anderson was also excellent guarding the net. But, it was the Cap's who got on the scoreboard first. Brooks Laich put some pressure on Brett McLean at the sidewall to the right of the Panthers' net, causing a turnover. Tomas Fleischmann grabbed the puck and headed straight for the net. When he got close, he fanned on his shot while going around a defender. But, he got his own rebound as he skated around the top of the crease. While being intentionally tripped by Anderson, he made his second try count. You better believe that got one hell of a reaction from his team and the rabid fans. The Capitals seemed much looser after that. However, even with two 5 on 3 power play situations, they couldn't get another one past Anderson, in the first.

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The Panthers got their only goal of the game in the second period. It was a power play goal by Kamil Kreps that went unnoticed at first. Kreps' shot sent the puck behind Huet rolling on edge along the goal line, and then the puck banked in off the far right post. The referee had his hand up, waiting to call the delayed penalty on Washington. Along with a little confusion about Sergei Fedorov's slashing penalty, video review showed the puck crossing the goal line. After that, the Capitals started playing a little more aggressively. At 15:03, Fedorov put them back ahead by one. Mike Green sent an outlet pass to Alexander Semin, who was by the sidewall right on the center stripe. He immediately sent a perfect backhand pass to Fedorov, who he saw waiting at the blue line. Sergei entered the zone and sent a seriously hard slapshot past a completely helpless Anderson.

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Early in the third period, the Cap's were cycling the puck in the Panthers' end. Steve Montador blocked a Sergei Fedorov shot, but the puck went right back to Fedorov. He sent the puck to Nicklas Backstrom near the end wall. Backstrom passed it to Semin in the high slot. Semin banged the cross bar with a top shelf PP goal, putting Washington ahead by two. While Mike Green was congratulating Alexander Semin, Alex Ovechkin skated over and leaped into the air, bowling over Green and Semin. Then Backstrom piled on, followed by Fedorov. What a fantastically entertaining and joyful sight. I could watch the replay over and over again. As a Cap's fan, you couldn't help but be filled with pride and confidence at that point. But, the silly officials insisted the other 17:39 left in regulation be played out. The Panthers weren't exactly ready to give in yet, either.

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The rest of the game was also exciting. There were more big hits, including Branislav Mezei sending Tom Poti corkscrewing through the air and Ovie plastering Jay Bouwmeester. John Erskine got decked behind Washington's net, without a penalty being called. Then Erskine made the mistake of getting caught giving Nathan Horton a little shove. This time, the mood for actually calling the penalty struck the ref. Then, the ref's swallowed their whistles for the second half of the period. Just before the thirteen minute mark, Brooks Laich took a shot to the inside of his left leg. He had to hobble through traffic and all the way across the ice before reaching the Cap's bench. Yeah, that's going to leave a mark. The final minutes were full of cheers from the fans. The M-V-P chants for Ovechkin which had also been heard earlier, increased again. Another standing ovation, as Ovie headed to the bench at the end of a shift. About two minutes before the final horn, everyone was on their feet for good. The final seconds ticked off and the biggest celebration you've ever seen erupted, on and off the ice.

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Eventually, head coach Bruce Boudreau met up with Comcast SportsNet's Lisa Hillary on the ice for a short interview, heard over the PA system. About his players, he said "These guys are the coolest guys in the world, man". The fans think you're pretty cool too, Bruce. Remember, this team was at the bottom of the league when he took over on Thanksgiving Day in November, 2007. They were 14th in the East at the midpoint of the season. To finish on top of the division with 94 points and be headed for the playoffs, is amazing. That is a feat that has never been done before. There are so many great things about this game and the second half of the season, that will leave smiles on Cap's fans for a long time. .

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All Photos - Nick Wass / AP

Capitals Vs Flyers 02/06/2008 Review

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Capitals 4 - Flyers 3

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The Washington Capitals are now in first place in the Southeast Division of the NHL! They got there by beating the Philadelphia Flyers. Thanks Philly. It wasn't easy though. Some of the stats make it look like the Capitals dominated the game. But, the final score tells the scary truth. This was also the game that Philadelphia chose to officially induct former goalie Ron Hextall into the Flyers Hall Of Fame. I'm not sure why they waited so long.

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For a few seconds within the first minute of the game, Washington's Tom Poti didn't look like the dominating defensive force he had been the night before. He got a bit of a surprise when he skated over to check Flyers' Jeff Carter as he was collecting the puck at the end wall behind the net. Carter saw him coming and nocked him on his ass. Poti would not be so casual in the remainder of the game. Once again, we had a game where it became obvious early on that it would be played in rough and tumble mode. Donald Brashear spent a fair amount of his playing time gently (?) reminding the Fly Boys that he would be around if any punishment was to be handed out. The Cap's killed a bogus Brashear high sticking penalty, while Philadelphia only managed one shot. This happened a couple times in the first period, and the fans booed in disapproval, as the Flys are usually one of the best power play teams in the league this season.

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Early in the second period, we had a little 4 on 4 play. Philadelphia's Jim Vandermeer gave Alexander Ovechkin a shove after the Cap's were whistled offside. Alex took exception to this, and shoved back. Both players got two minutes to cool down. Then, Mike Green passed the puck to Brooks Laich from the blue line as he headed up the ice. Laich went straight to the net and backhanded the puck past Flyers' goalie Martin Biron. The Capitals lead the league in 4 on 4 goals with 10. Somehow, Biron's stick was broken, and he spent a few minutes playing with just the bottom half. He didn't have any problem stopping shots while waiting for a stop in play. Meanwhile, Washington's netminder Olie Kolzig was only facing half as many shots. But, he had to make some difficult saves from time to time. One such save involved him diving back toward the net to cover up the puck, after a shot went wide of the right side of the net, bounced off the end wall, and ended up on the doorstep at the other side. Then, the Caps' Quintin Laing was called for interference when he was shoved into Biron. Shortly after, Mike Knuble got the PP goal. The period ended tied at 1-1.

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Things got a little crazy in the third. Let's just say it's a good thing some Cap's players, in addition to Ovechkin, started to remember how to score during the previous game. About two minutes in, Matt Bradley deflected a Mike Green shot into the net, putting Washington back in the lead. About a minute later, Poti was able to keep the puck from leaving the offensive zone. The Flyers' defenders were caught out of position, while Poti got the puck to Tomas Fleischmann, who passed it to Viktor Kozlov. Kozzy easily scored his 11th goal of the season. It seemed like a good sign, because the Cap's always win when Viktor scores a goal. The booing returned at this point. At 7:45, Ovechkin scored his 46th goal of the season. This put Washington ahead 4-1. The Fly's fans were now too stunned to even boo anymore. It looked like it was time for Philadelphia to raise the white flag and surrender, right? But,.............Yeah, you know you don't want a "but" at this point. Here it comes anyway. But then, the Flyers got motivated. The next Flyers' "goal" was waived off during play, and officially denied after video review. It was rightfully decided that Scott Hartnell pushed Olie into the net after he had the puck stopped, therefore before the puck went in. The Flyers then got goals from Sami Kapanen and later Randy Jones, with Biron off the ice for the extra skater. But,.........And this is a good "but". But, the Capitals were able to keep Philadelphia from evening it up.

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The first team the Cap's faced with Bruce Boudreau as head coach was the Philadelphia Flyers. Washington was at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, even with an OT win that day - November 23, 2007. After beating that same team last night, the Capitals are now in sole possession of first place in the Southeast Division. What a wild ride. No time to relax, though. There's more work to do, yet.

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All Photos - Jim McIsaac / Getty Images