Last Update - May 2, 2010 at 2:20 AM EDT
Here is Junior's
'Reading And Viewing List' for April 25 through April 27, 2010. In this blog entry, you'll find links to
Washington Capitals playoff hockey, the current
World Rally Championship season and recent
Formula One racing news, as well as updates on music and entertainment.
April 27, 2010Poti to miss Game 7By Gene Wang at
Capitals InsiderDefenseman Tom Poti will miss Game 7 against Montreal tomorrow night after getting hit in the right eye in last night's 4-1 loss at Bell Centre.
Poti flew back with the team last night and was scheduled to have surgery today. Coach Bruce Boudreau estimated Poti would miss two to three weeks, meaning if the Capitals win tomorrow, they would be without him at least until the conference finals...
Renault to offer fans Formula One track day packagesPosted at
Formula1.comThe Renault Formula One team are to open up their doors this summer and allow a lucky few to experience an F1 car from the driver’s seat. The ‘Feel It’ programme will see paying members of the public get behind the wheel at Budapest’s Hungaroring circuit, home of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Renault say the experience is designed to offer a rare glimpse into the challenge faced by the best drivers on the planet every other weekend. The fast-track training programme will take the participants from junior Formula Renault cars to modern Formula One machinery in just one day...
Alonso: Being in contention is what countsPosted at
Formula1.comAfter mixed fortunes in the season’s opening flyaway races, Fernando Alonso has dismissed fears over Ferrari’s engine reliability, insisting he is simply glad to be a championship contender as he heads to his home Grand Prix in Spain.
Alonso won the first round in Bahrain, but has not appeared on the podium since. Nevertheless, fourth places in Australia and China mean he is a competitive third in the driver standings on 49 points, just 11 shy of leader Jenson Button...
Rallye de France to include Loeb tribute stagePosted at
WRC.com
World Rally Championship leader Sebastien Loeb says he is relishing tackling the 4.2-kilometre stage through the streets of his home town of Haguenau when it runs as part of Rallye de France from 30 September-3 October.
The asphalt stage - which will be built around Haguenau’s park and will incorporate numerous viewing points for spectators - has been designed as a tribute to the six-time world champion who hails from the Alsace region where the rally will be centred...
failure to supportBy Kameron at
I May Have Been Born Yesterday
But I Stayed Up All NightArelisha Bridges (45) is suspected of the shooting death of her husband Anthony Rankin (26) -- five days after their wedding. The twisted irony of this murder is that Bridges is a registered lobbyist for a group that campaigns against domestic violence.
The recent news about Bridges seemed like a good occasion for me to dust off an entry I wrote several months ago. One of those entries I wanted to sit on for a while before posting...
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Game 6:
Canadiens 4 - Capitals 1By The Peerless at
The Peerless PrognosticatorFor all you Caps fans who discovered the joys of hockey over the last six months, welcome to Caps World.
The Washington Capitals were pushed to the brink of what would be the biggest playoff collapse in franchise history last night, losing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals to the Montreal Canadiens, 4-1...
Ozzy Movie Ready To Be AnnouncedBy mdome at
Classic RockA movie based on the life of Ozzy Osbourne is to go into production imminently.
Blabbermouth have reported that Sharon Osbourne said of these plans: “There’s about to be a big announcement. It’s been picked up and it’s going into production. We’re going to make a press announcement hopefully within the next two weeks. There’s no cast yet, but we have a producer and we have lots of money and we’re all starting.”
Wendy O. The ThrobbleheadBy mdome at
Classic RockWendy O. Williams has been immortalised as a throbblehead figure.The punk icon has become the first female throbblehead, and this is based on her 1982 look. Manufactured by Aggronautix, the figure is seven inches in height, and you can find out more at
www.aggronautix.comHalak steals Game 6 from CapsBy Tarik El-Bashir at
Capitals Insider...*Jaroslak Halak was great tonight. No way around that. The guy made 54 saves. But Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green are four of the best sharpshooters in the world, and it's not like Halak didn't leave a rebound loitering about on a few occasions.
Halak did make a number of scintillating saves. But the one he was credited with on Tomas Fleischmann midway through the third period was not one of them...
April 26, 2010Postgame Notebook: Canadiens 4, Capitals 1By Mike Vogel - Senior Writer at
WashingtonCaps.comCase of the Mondays – For the second time in as many games, the Montreal Canadiens scored two goals in the game’s first 10 minutes. And for the second time in as many games, the goaltending of Jaroslav Halak was enough to make those two tallies stand up for a Montreal win.
Halak stopped 53 of the 54 shots poured in his direction in Monday’s Game 6, enabling the Canadiens to forge a 4-1 win and to force a deciding seventh game in the District on Wednesday...
Remarkable HalakBy
Joe Beninati - Washington Capitals Play-by-Play
at
Comcast SportsNet - Washington, DCSometimes all you can do is shake your head and wonder how in the world one player performs at such a remarkable level. Jaroslav Halak was the overwhelming reason why Montreal earned 4-1 decision over Washington tonight.
He made a ridiculously good stop on Alex Semin in the first minute of the game and never looked back. As soon as he made two more stellar stops, shortly there after I was worried that he may be unbeatable tonight. But his effort managed to exceed my wildest imagination. That was one of the best goaltending performances I have seen in many moons...
Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens
EC Quarterfinal Game 6 HighlightsPosted at
Comcast SportsNet - Washington, DCUnsung HeroesBy Becca H at
Japers' RinkThere's been plenty of talk in this series about the usual suspects that have stepped up their game and the usual suspects who haven't (paging Messrs Green, Semin and Fleischmann). It dominates pre- and post-game chatter, with analysts and various media types choosing to focus on the "big" names over the course of a series unless prompted to do otherwise.
Lost in all of that talk sometimes, however, are the role-players - guys who almost always become increasingly important in the playoffs. While blogs and more specialist sites can and do devote time to these workhorses, their efforts can often go unheralded. And yet when everyone else's superstars are finding that next level to the game, often it's these lesser-known players who become the difference-makers over the course of a series...
Jose Theodore Named Finalist for NHL's Masterton TrophyPosted by Hockey Mom at
Musings Of A Hockey MomAfter suffering one of most devastating losses one could imagine,
Capitals goaltender
Jose Theodore had a phenomenal season in the net and established
Saves for Kids in memory of his infant son. The NHL has recognized his perserverance and dedication to the sport by naming Theo a finalist for this year's
Masterton Trophy.
Here's the official release courstesy of the Caps PR staff:...
The Right FitBy Mike Vogel at
Dump 'N ChaseOnce you get deep into a playoff series and the two teams have developed a healthy sense of the strengths and weaknesses of each other are, it becomes a bit of a tailor’s game from the standpoint of the coaches.
Zipping things up. Buttoning things down. Making alterations, adjustments. Pushing buttons. Looking for the right fit. And most of those adjustments are made by the coach whose team lost the last game...
Glenn Hughes Rubbishes Claims Of Supergroup SplitBy mdome at
Classic RockThings might not be over for the supergroup of Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian and Jason Bonham.
We reported a couple of days ago that Kevin Shirley, who’s producing the as yet unnamed band’s debut album, claimed that there were problems which could scupper the whole project...
Schumacher and Vettel to defend ROC title in GermanyPosted at
Formula1.comThis year’s Race of Champions (ROC) will be held in the German city of Dusseldorf, meaning Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel will be bidding to win their fourth consecutive Nations Cup title on home soil in November.
The annual end-of-season competition brings together the world’s greatest drivers from all motor sport disciplines, pitching them head-to-head in identical machinery. In recent years it has been held at the Stade de France in Paris (2004-2006), London’s Wembley Stadium (2007-2008) and Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' National Stadium (2009)...
Adrian Sutil Q&A: Finding every tenth is toughPosted at
Formula1.comForce India’s Adrian Sutil has qualified in the top ten at every race this season, yet has scored points just once - an excellent fifth place in Malaysia. The German admits he may have missed the odd opportunity, but also insists it’s simply tough at the top. Reflecting on China and looking ahead to Spain, Sutil says he expects none of the top teams to be making major development gains anytime soon...
Chris Evans On Playing Captain America:
'I'm A Little Scared, To Be Honest'By Blair Marnell at MTV's
Splash PageEarlier this year, Chris Evans won the title role in "The First Avenger: Captain America," after an extensive casting search.
And while some fans have complained about his unfamiliarity with the character, Evans seems to have a firm grasp on Captain America's place in the Marvel pantheon...
Edgar Wright's 'Ant-Man' To Follow 'The Avengers',
Says Marvel Studios PresidentBy Blair Marnell at MTV's
Splash Page
Edgar Wright's long-gestating adaptation of "Ant-Man" could finally begin production at the end of this year.
"Edgar was in L.A. last week," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Superhero Hype. "We sat down, and we started working on a calendar of when to get him back into it once he finishes promoting 'Scott Pilgrim...
We're going in the right direction, says RaikkonenPosted at
WRC.comFormer Grand Prix champion Kimi Raikkonen believes that his fifth place on the Rally of Turkey marks a turning point in his World Rally Championship campaign.
Raikkonen was one of the few drivers to steer clear of trouble on the tricky Turkish event, marking his highest-ever finish on a WRC round and racking up his second consecutive points finish, following his eighth place in Jordan....
Back To MontrealBy Mike Vogel - Senior Writer at
WashingtonCaps.comMatch-UpHaving forged a 3-1 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Seminfinal series between the two teams, the Capitals have three chances to close the coffin on the Canadiens. The first chance went by the wayside on Friday night when the Habs staved off elimination with a 2-1 Game 5 victory over the Caps at Verizon Center.
Washington hopes to make good on its second chance – Monday’s Game 6 meeting in Montreal – so that a seventh and deciding game on Wednesday in Washington would be moot...
April 25, 2010Maryland Rockers Clutch To Release Double Live DVD In MayPosted by Nightwatcher at
Nightwatcher's House Of Rock...Disc one features a 90 minute full length concert filmed with seven hi-definition cameras last December at Washington DC’s legendary 9:30 Club. In addition to a career-spanning set of jams both new and old, the DVD includes a full version of the band’s 1995 self titled release in its entirety. An audio version of the full 19 song concert will be exclusively available through iTunes on May 11th. The DVD will be released May 11th in the U.S and May 14 in Europe...
Caps practice power playBy Tarik El-Bashir at
Capitals InsiderThe Caps spent most of this morning's practice working on -- what else? -- the power play, which is a dismal 1 for 24 through five games in this series. The almost all-out 30-minute session appeared to be a little more intensive than usual, with Coach Bruce Boudreau often interrupting the unit to instruct.
"The other day he was more irritated, and today he was a little more calm," Mike Knuble said of Boudreau, the power play's architect. "Today, it was, 'Alright guys, I know we can do this', now that he's had a day to get away from it. It was just little things like puck recovery and being on rebounds a little more. Little things to focus on."...
'Doctor Who' Review: Episode 5.02, 'The Beast Below'By Rick Marshall at MTV's
Splash Page...Steven Moffat's second episode of the new season offers a great example of everything fans have come to love about his take on "Doctor Who" stories. From the start, there's an overwhelming sense of something not quite right about the Doctor and Amy's surroundings, and the writer allows his stars to uncover the clues right along with the audience. Moffat also introduces some new, extra-creepy villains in "The Smilers," then turns everything on its head in the episode's climax with an unsubtle reminder that The Doctor is not someone you want to anger...
Sittin' at the end of the bar...By The Peerless at
The Peerless PrognosticatorThings we bet you wouldn’t have expected...
-- Sure, you might not have expected that Alexander Semin would have no goals in this series, but he’s also been on the ice for a grand total of one goal scored against. Still, we would like to see him break out of that goal-scoring schneid in a big way tomorrow night.
-- One other Cap has played in all five games and has been on the ice for only one goal against. I’d tell you who it was, but it wouldn’t be Fehr to give it away...
In the penalty laden second period, Washington temporarily got back within one. 
It was another embarrassing game in which the Capitals did few things right. They had not learned any lessons yet. They have to play their game. They can't let the Flyers intimidate them. If they focus on what they should be doing and close some of those passing and shooting lanes once and a while, they might accomplish something before it's too late.
