Junior's Reading And Viewing List: July 11 - 21, 2011

Last Update - August 11, 2011 at 3:26 AM EDT

Junior's July 11 through July 21, 2011 'Reading And Viewing List' presents title links, with article snippets, from items published during the middle of July 2011.

Film adaptions of super hero comics, Washington Capitals hockey, music, Formula One racing and WRC rally news are among the things covered here.


July 21, 2011

FIA Thursday press conference - Germany
Posted at Formula1.com

Drivers: Timo Glock (Virgin), Nick Heidfeld (Renault), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), Adrian Sutil (Force India) and Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)...


The Poti Predicament
By Fehr and Balanced at Japers' Rink

It's no secret that George McPhee has had an incredibly successful off-season to date. Thus far he's assembled (on paper, at least) the best roster Bruce Boudreau has ever had to work with, and one of the best Capitals rosters ever, regardless of era. The most talented forward corps the franchise has ever had, hopefully bolstered by newfound checking depth that Caps fans have been used to relying on. Defense to rival the ‘80s. Goaltending to rival the ‘90s. What's not to like?...


Hirvonen tries rallycross for size
Posted at WRC.com

Mikko Hirvonen has followed in the footsteps of his former factory Ford team-mate Marcus Gronholm by taking part in a fully-fledged rallycross event...


Meeke and Sordo set for more MINI magic
Posted at WRC.com

MINI WRC Team stars Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo say they are ready and waiting to return to world championship duty on Neste Oil Rally Finland next week...


Germany preview - home heroes out to halt Ferrari
Posted at Formula1.com

A whole slew of intermixing factors will ensure that this weekend's German round, the Formula 1 Grosser Preis Santander von Deutschland 2011, will be a gripping affair as the race returns to the Nurburgring...


July 20, 2011

Keeping Development in Perspective
By Becca H at Japers' Rink

...The 2011 Development Camp has come and gone, the prospects returned to their various hometowns, but the impressions remain relatively fresh - of a late-round draftee from last month's draft, or a veteran of three camps who knows he still has some work to do, or a Russian defenseman looking to get his first season of North American hockey underway...


'Amazing Spider-Man' Trailer Swings Into Action
By Josh Wigler at MTV's Splash Page

Spider-Man bootleg no more! It's the real deal — the actual "Amazing Spider-Man" trailer has been caught in the web!...

McLaren confident of reclaiming advantage from Ferrari
Posted at Formula1.com

While six wins from nine races for Red Bull may look dull on paper, the reality of the 2011 season to date has been far more exciting. Not least because we've had the entertaining spectacle of seeing two of the sport's stalwarts - McLaren and Ferrari - battling it out for the honour of leading the vanguard against the 'upstarts' from Milton Keynes...


Gronholm reveals key to Finland success
Posted at WRC.com

Seven-time Neste Oil Rally Finland winner Marcus Gronholm reckons courage and brains are key to success on the world championship qualifier, which takes place in Jyvaskyla in the centre of the country from 28-30 July...


Rees: Petter will fight on in WRC
Posted at WRC.com

Petter Solberg World Rally Team head Ken Rees has vowed to remain positive despite his driver's unequal struggle for WRC glory...


July 19, 2011

Queen's Roger Taylor re-releases anti-Murdoch song - video
Posted at NME.com

...The song, entitled 'Dear Mr Murdoch', was first written in 1994 and was included on the musician's album, 'Happiness'. It is being re-released with the lyrics slightly tweaked...

Patti Smith To Release New Compilation
By mdome at Classic Rock

...Titled Outside Society, it will span her career from 1975’s Horses to 2007’s Twelve. The full track listing is:...


Ford reveals food-themed designs for Finland
Posted at WRC.com

The individual food-themed roof designs that will feature on the trio of Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team Fiesta RS WRCs on Neste Oil Rally Finland later this month have been revealed...


Stage Collapses During Cheap Trick Set
By mdome at Classic Rock

...Just 20 minutes into their set on the main stage at the Ottawa Bluesfest, the area was hit by a huge thunderstorm, causing the stage to collapse...


July 18, 2011

'Dark Knight Rises' Trailer: Batman Must Return
By Josh Wigler at MTV's Splash Page

Batman rises one last time next July, but you won't have to wait a full year before catching a glimpse at the final round of "Dark Knight" mania...

Matt Hendricks talks about Washington Capitals’
offseason changes
By Katie Carrera at The Washington Post's Capitals Insider

With the flurry of changes to the Capitals’ lineup this offseason, Matt Hendricks is one forward who already knows he’ll have to adjust to new linemates when the 2011-12 regular season kicks off...


Jim Simpson's Photographs at Sandwell Museums
Posted at Home Of Metal

Sandwell Museums are hosting an exhibition of long buried photographs of music promotor and former Black Sabbath manager, Jim Simpson. From the late 1950s Jim worked as a musician and a photographer before moving into managmenent and music promotion...


Foo Fighters Stream iTunes Gig
By mdome at Classic Rock

...The gig happened on Tuesday, July 12 at The Roundhouse in London, when the band were joined onstage by Lemmy for the Probot song Shake Your Blood. Brian May and Roger Taylor got up for the Queen classic Tie Your Mother Down, with Taylor Hawkins on vocals.

Get the stream here.

July 17, 2011

40 Years Stoner Rock
Posted at Home Of Metal

Summer 1971 saw the release of Black Sabbath’s third album Master of Reality. A 10ft x 10ft reproduction of the album artwork features in the 40 Years of Heavy Metal and its Unique Birth Place exhibition now on at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Tony likes it and we hope you will do too...


July 16, 2011

7-16-11 George McPhee
Video posted at Caps365 media player via WashingtonCaps.com

Capitals GM George Mcphee addresses the media on the final day of development camp.

July 15, 2011

TNT cancels 'Men of a Certain Age'
By Alan Sepinwall at What's Alan Watching?

TNT has canceled "Men of a Certain Age", the low-rated critical darling starring Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula as the three titular men...


Sky Arts Documentary on Home of Metal
Posted at Home Of Metal

We are delighted that not only will there be a 10 minute documentary screened on Sky Arts throughout the summer, (tonight will be the first airing at 7.50pm!!) but there will also be an extended version of a 30 mins documentary being broadcast on Sky One on the 31st August!

You can watch the trailer here...

Classic Rock’s New Releases Round-Up
By mdome at Classic Rock

This week, we’ve prog legends with a new singer, the teaming of Lemmy and Slim Jim Phantom, a mega expanded anniversary reissue of a thrash classic and a bunch of muthatrucking New Yorkers live on DVD...


Germany preview quotes - Lotus, Pirelli, HRT & more
Posted at Formula1.com

Hot on the heels of one legendary track - Silverstone - comes another, and this time it is the turn of the tight and challenging Nurburgring circuit to welcome the Formula One paddock. As the 'home' race for world champion Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Nick Heidfeld, Timo Glock and Adrian Sutil, the event has special significance for many on the grid. Here the drivers and senior team personnel explain why they can't wait to head for the mountains...


Formula One teams gear up for Russian invasion
Posted at Formula1.com

It may be three years before the country expects to stage its first Grand Prix, but this Sunday Russian fans will have the chance to enjoy the spectacle of Formula One at two separate demonstration events - one in the capital, Moscow, the other in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which is set to host the F1 calendar's inaugural Russian round in 2014...


July 14, 2011

'MTV First: Captain America' Starts Right Now!
By MTV News Team at MTV's Splash Team

...Welcome to MTV First: Captain America, a 30-minute conversation between our very own Josh Horowitz and Mr. Steve Rogers himself, actor Chris Evans, featuring everything you could possibly want to know about "The First Avenger" and his first Marvel Studios adventure. In addition to the interview, we're also debuting an exclusive clip from next week's big superhero release, so make sure to tune in and enjoy the show!...


Second Clip and Featurette for 'Cowboys And Aliens'
Posted at Super Hero Hype

A second clip and featurette for Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens are now up and can be watched using the player below!...

Hirvonen: Finland will be close
Posted at WRC.com

Home hero Mikko Hirvonen reckons this year's Neste Oil Rally Finland will be one of the closest yet - and expects several privateers from Finland to spring a surprise on the world championship qualifier...


Lemmy Readies New Solo Album
By mdome at Classic Rock

...Among the guests on the album are Dave Grohl, Joan Jett, Reverend Horton Heat and The Damned...


Idiocracy
By Brian Lumley at Rumblings From The Man Cave

...We're on a downward spiral, culturally-speaking, and I see it only getting worse. Lately, intelligence has become a thing of ridicule; a moniker like a big fat scarlet letter emblazoned upon your post-high school, matriculated forehead. For some reason an education makes you an "elitist," and over the past twenty years we've embraced the worst pop culture as our unique American offering to the rest of the world. TV has taught other countries that America's GDP is stupidity and somehow it's wholly chic to be unintelligent...


July 13, 2011

First 'Cowboys & Aliens' Clip: Daniel Craig Owes Harrison Ford
By Kara Warner at MTV's Splash Page

...There's a new "Cowboys & Aliens" clip out today, entitled "You Owe Me", that features a nice little scene between our heroes Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) and Lonergan (Craig)...

Washington Capitals sign Mathieu Perreault
By Katie Carrera at The Washington Post's Capitals Insider

The Capitals announced Wednesday that they’ve signed center Mathieu Perreault to a one-year, two-way deal...


Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi on the Birthplace
of Heavy Metal - Video
Posted at Home Of Metal

Guitar legend Tony Iommi talks to Stuart Jeffries at the Home of Metal exhibitions in Wolverhampton and Birmingham, celebrating the origins of heavy metal and grindcore in Birmingham and the Black Country, the crucible of the industrial revolution.

The Guardian: Home of Metal - A history of the heavy
in seven objects
Posted at Home Of Metal

To salute home of metal's new series of exhibitions across the west midlands, justin quirk offers a history of the music in 7 objects.

To see the full article and all seven wonderful items:
--> Click here <--

Solberg takes to the skies
Posted at WRC.com

World Rally Championship star Petter Solberg took to the skies last week when he joined the Breitling Jet Team during a promotional event in Switzerland...


July 12, 2011

Leslie West Prepares Album, Tour
By mdome at Classic Rock

Leslie West intends to carry on with the release of his new album and a subsequent tour, despite having the bottom half of his right leg amputated...


50 Things I Don't Want to See, Hear, or Think About Next Season
By The Peerless at The Peerless Prognosticator

Because it's July, it's hot outside, and there is enough going on with development camp to keep bloggers busy, we thought we would offer up 50 things we do not want to see, hear, or think about when the next season of hockey rolls around...


Queen Plan Sheer Heart Attack Video
By gbarton at Classic Rock

Queen are giving independent film makers the chance to create a video for the classic 1977 song Sheer Heart Attack...


Acropolis chiefs set to repeat night stage
Posted at WRC.com

Acropolis Rally bosses are planning to repeat the Nea Politia night stage when the world championship returns to Greece next season...


July 11, 2011

Olie Kolzig: 'I’m glad that I’m back' with Washington Capitals
By Lindsay Applebaum at The Washington Post's Capitals Insider

Former longtime Capitals goalie Olie Kolzig sat high up in the stands at Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Monday, watching prospects and chatting with goaltender coach Dave Prior and other team officials as development camp got underway...

Washington Capitals prospect Cody Eakin: 'I am coming to camp
to make the team'
By Katie Carrera at The Washington Post's Capitals Insider

For this particular development camp, Cody Eakin will be one of the most watched and scrutinized prospects in attendance. The 20-year-old center is set to turn pro in the fall and the question that looms is where will he do so? Washington or Hershey?...


'Spider-Man' Writer Swings For Realistic Reboot
By Josh Wigler at MTV's Splash Page

In one year from now, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is swinging back into theaters — and when he does, he'll bring a whole lot of reality with him...


Dear TNT: Please save 'Men of a Certain Age'
By Alan Sepinwall at What's Alan Watching?

Last Wednesday night, I published my review of the season finale of "Men of a Certain Age", which was as much about the idea that it could be the last episode of the show ever as it was about the episode itself. Ultimately, I struck what I felt was a happy but resigned note. You gave us two seasons of this marvelous show, after all - a show whose charms are incredibly subtle (so subtle that I'm not always able to properly describe them, and I love the show) in an era where only the noisiest and/or most high-concept shows seem to be breaking through, a show built around three men who were aging out of the infamous 18-49 year-old demographic even as the series began...


Van Halen Mixing New Album
By mdome at Classic Rock

...Producer Ross Hogarth has revealed that the record’s in the mixing stages, and everything’s prepared for a release later in the year...


Gymkhana tour a hit for Block in Vienna
Posted at WRC.com

Ken Block has said he was thrilled after more than 25,000 fans attended the first stop of his Gymkhana World Tour in Vienna, Austria on Sunday...

Junior's Reading And Viewing List: June 11 - 20, 2011

Last Update - July 20, 2011 at 2:29 AM EDT

Junior's June 11 through June 20, 2011 'Reading And Viewing List' presents title links, with article snippets, from items published in the middle of June 2011.

Upcoming films, Washington Capitals hockey, music, Formula One racing and WRC rally news are among the things covered here.


June 20, 2011

2010-11 Rink Wrap: George McPhee
By J.P. at Japers' Rink

Since a general manager's season is hard to quantify beyond a team's regular season numbers and projections about prospects and draft choices, we figured we'd have a roundtable discussion on what McPhee did well and what he may not have done so well...


2010-11 Rink Wrap: Bruce Boudreau
Posted by Becca H at Japers' Rink

Since a coach's season is hard to quantify beyond the numbers above, we figured we'd have a roundtable discussion on what Gabby did well and what he may not have done so well...


Remember When A 'Doctor Who' Star Played Batman,
And Reed Richards Stripped?
By Rick Marshall at MTV's Splash Page

Yes, you read that headline correctly, and yes, it is possibly the most ridiculous headline I have written in my entire career. The best part? It happened...


Alguersuari and Red Bull wow Hong Kong
Posted at Formula1.com

The weekend between Canada and Europe gave Red Bull's showcar team the chance to head to Hong Kong and give the locals a thrilling taste of Formula One power, with Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari in the driving seat...


June 19, 2011

'Green Lantern' 101: Get To Know Earth's Other Green Lanterns
By Matt Adler at MTV's Splash Page

...Hal Jordan was chosen as Abin Sur’s replacement due to his honesty and fearlessness, but 1968’s Green Lantern #59 reveals that Hal was not the only possible choice. Sur found that there was another worthy candidate, Guy Gardner, a physical education teacher from Baltimore, Maryland...


BMAG exhibition now open - sneak peak
Posted at Home Of Metal

Welcome to the Home of Metal exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, which opened yesterday to the public. Here is a sneak peak at what we've got in the show - make sure you get down there to check it out for yourselves...

...In our resource section you can have a go yourselves playing a selection of Gibson guitars - including Flying V's...


June 18, 2011

Bill Ward welcomes you to Home of Metal
Posted at Home Of Metal

Bill Ward, founding member and drummer of Black Sabbath, welcomes you to Home of Metal in this exclusive recording made on 7 June 2011...


June 17, 2011

The 'Green Lantern' Aliens: Here's What You Need To Know!
By Rick Marshall at MTV's Splash Page

...Don't worry if you're a Green Lantern newbie, though, we've got your back. Along with having the "Green Lantern" cast explain their characters, we also put together a quick primer on some of the alien members of the Corps...

Martin Popoff's "Black Sabbath FAQ"
By Joe Siegler at Black Sabbath Online

One of the things I get asked from time to time (usually after people read my timeline page) is why I don't write a book. The reason I usually give them is "What's the point? - There's a ton of books out there, and I'm not sure what unique perspective I could bring". So it was with that frame of mind that I first approached the news that a new Black Sabbath book was coming out from Martin Popoff. Martin's an old friend of mine, and I've got a couple of his older books as a customer. So I was thinking "Hey dude, you've already written a Sabbath book, what's with a second one?" Then I got a look at it. Martin figured out a proper angle for a repeat book on the same subject, not to present the band's history in a linear fashion like most every biography does. Here's the official blurb about the book:...


Europe preview quotes - Williams, Ferrari, Force India & more
Posted at Formula1.com - Updated June 22, 2011

After the streets of Montreal's Ile Notre Dame, Formula One racing heads to the streets of Valencia. But in the place of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve's high-speed, low-downforce layout, come the Spanish track's demanding twists and turns. There are 25 corners in total - the highest number of any currently-used circuit - all of which test the drivers to the maximum. They and senior team personnel look ahead to the forthcoming 2011 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe...


June 16, 2011

Capitals Hire Olie Kolzig as Associate Goaltender Coach
By Mike Vogel at Dump 'N Chase

...Having spent nearly a decade establishing himself as an elite NHL netminder and having risen to Vezina Trophy and all-star levels thereafter, Kolzig has known the depths and heights along the way. And being just a couple years away from his own retirement, Kolzig should be able to impart the wisdom of his years in the game on talented youngsters who don’t yet have the benefit of their own experience...


2010-11 Rink Wrap: Dennis Wideman
By Becca H at Japers' Rink

When the team acquired Wideman at the deadline for a draft pick and a prospect, they knew they were bringing in someone who could potentially boost the power play and bring a bit of stability to a blue line that had been worn away by injuries, most notably to Mike Green. And for the 14 games in which he dressed, Wideman was a more than adequate fill-in, skating just over 24 minutes a game for the Caps and providing the team with another puck-moving defenseman who could jump-start the attack...


Sochi to host Formula One spectacular for Russian fans
Posted at Formula1.com

Russian fans will get a taste of Formula One racing in July when the Renault and Virgin teams take to the streets as part of a promotional event in Sochi. The Black Sea resort is set to host the F1 calendar's first Russian round in 2014...


Raikkonen set for tough WRC return
Posted at WRC.com

Kimi Raikkonen has said that he is delighted to be back competing in the World Rally Championship after missing the last two events but conceded he will face a tough test when he competes on the Acropolis Rally for the first time...


Wilson unsure of WRC outings beyond Greece
Posted at WRC.com

Despite his consistent start to the campaign in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC, the Briton doesn’t have the funding finalised for the rest of the year...


June 15, 2011

'Green Lantern' 101: The Cast Introduce Their Characters
By Splash Page Team at MTV's Splash Page

...While many of you are probably well aware of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, there's a good chance that the new film will be the first introduction to DC's cosmic police force for much of the audience. With that in mind, we had the stars of the film provide a brief explanation of their characters and role in the "Green Lantern" universe...

Bad Company Announce Live Release
By mdome at Classic Rock

...Titled Live At Wembley, it’s to be made simultaneously available in CD, DVD and Blu-ray on June 28. Filmed and recorded during the reunited band’s show at Wembley Arena in April 2010, the full track listing for the DVD and Blu-ray is:...


Hamilton and NASCAR's Stewart swap seats at Watkins Glen
Posted at Formula1.com

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton got the chance to try out some rather different high-speed machinery on Tuesday when he traded cars with double NASCAR Sprint Cup series champion Tony Stewart during a special promotional event organised by Mobile 1, at the Watkins Glen International circuit...


Acropolis podium a strong possibility for Petter
Posted at WRC.com

Petter Solberg has a "big opportunity" to claim his second podium finish of 2011 when the world championship resumes on the Acropolis Rally, which starts in the Greek capital Athens on Thursday evening...


Acropolis preview notes: Part two
Posted at WRC.com

...Owner/driver Solberg will start the Acropolis Rally on the back of a short test in Greece on Monday, which he conducted in the same Citroen DS3 WRC he will use on this week’s world championship qualifier. The Norwegian was a winner in Greece in 2004 and emulating that success would be the ultimate revenge for Rally Argentina when power steering failure cost him and British co-driver Chris Patterson a shot at victory...


June 14, 2011

Home of Metal at Download Festival
Posted at Home Of Metal

Last weekend Home Of Metal was at Download festival. We had a huge wall of fans portraits taken by Steve Gerrard within the exhibition area to help promote our forthcoming season of exhibitions and events...


Acropolis preview notes: Part one
Posted at WRC.com

...The Blue Oval has been a winner in Greece on seven of the last 10 occasions and is desperate to extend that sequence this week. Ford’s failure to win in the WRC since Rally Sweden in February with its Fiesta RS WRC means it is now 33 points behind Citroen in the manufacturers’ table, while Mikko Hirvonen is 13 points adrift of Sebastien Loeb in the drivers’ title battle. But it has come extremely close of late with a plethora of fastest stage times and will be boosted by an expanded test in Greece prior to Rally Argentina, which Hirvonen and team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala declared was a success...


June 13, 2011

Jon Favreau & Robert Downey Jr. Discuss 'Iron Man 3',
'The Avengers', And Marvel's Movie Universe
By Danica Davidson at MTV's Splash Page

...“I just thought ‘How are you gonna put all of us clowns together? He’s wearing a suit, he’s all jacked up, he’s so-and-so, and poor Mark Ruffalo, he’s gonna out do us", continued Downey. "And we’re about six weeks in and I have to say [director] Joss Whedon is nailing it. He’s so smart and so good. And it’s gonna be great. I can’t believe I just said it, I never could’ve believed this, but it’s gonna be great.”...

[Second of two videos by GeekTyrant included in post.]

Ryan Reynolds Was 'Blown Away' By 'Green Lantern' Visuals
By Danica Davidson at MTV's Splash Page

“Green Lantern” will finally arrive on the big screen later this week, and star Ryan Reynolds seems to be very happy with how the ambitious film turned out. Speaking with MTV News, he assured fans that it’s even better than he had hoped...

Block to make Formula One debut!
Posted at WRC.com

World Rally Championship star Ken Block will get a taste of Formula One power when he tests a Toyota TF109 at Monza in August...


Crews braced for tough opening day in Greece
Posted at WRC.com

...Greece returns to the WRC schedule for the first time in two years later this week with a demanding route based around the town of Loutraki, 90 kilometres west of the capital Athens...


June 11, 2011

Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'A Good Man Goes to War':
Are you my mommy?
By Alan Sepinwall at What's Alan Watching?

...Obviously, the big thing to talk about with "A Good Man Goes to War" is the revelation that River Song is, in fact, Amy and Rory's daughter, and I'll get to that in a moment. But that news comes at the end of the episode, and what struck me before that was how overwhelmingly the hour was about how other people respond to the Doctor. That's obviously a running theme of the show, particularly in the way he upends the lives of his companions, but this episode felt like it was more about that than any other point in the modern series...

Olie No Longer A Goalie

Photo found at A Tapestry Of Yarns.

Former Washington Capitals goaltender Olie Kolzig has decided to retire. After spending most (711 0f 719 games) of his 14 NHL seasons playing for Washington, fans of the Caps and "Olie the Goalie" are sad, though not surprised to see him go. Some of the places on the web to visit for an in depth retrospective of this NHL hockey great also known as "Godzilla", are surely soon going to include Dump 'N Chase, A View From The Cheap Seats, Japers' Rink, Love The Game, Don't Like Puck Bunnies, The Peerless Prognosticator and of course WashingtonCaps.com. Until then, you can check out today's official press release at either NHL.com or NHLPA.com.

Lightning Vs Capitals 11/10/2008 Review

Washington Capitals celebrate Alex Ovechkin's goal.

Lightning 2 - Capitals 4

Olie Kolzig ended up being the losing goaltender in Monday night's game versus his old team, the Washington Capitals. It was the first time he had faced his former teammates, since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning after last season.

The first half of the game must have seemed very familiar to Olie. His new team's defense apparently forgot how to play. They looked like the inexperienced lot he had helping him a couple seasons ago, when the Capitals played many games in a similarly horrible way. Within the first 16:24 of the game, Washington scored three goals. Bad line changes left him defenseless, and being screened by his own teammates also made it impossible for Kolzig to make saves on those first period strikes by Tom Poti, Mike Green and Eric Fehr.

About eleven or twelve minutes into the second period, the Lightning's play started to improve. With Washington's David Steckel in the penalty box for interference, Tampa Bay's Gary Roberts put a backhand shot past netminder Brent Johnson for a power play goal at 16:30. Johnson was as sharp as ever throughout this game, but there was a lot of traffic in front of him at the time.

Olie Kolzig in first game versus Washington Capitals.

The tempo picked up in the third period, adding some excitement to the match. At 15:54, Alex Ovechkin stopped his longest ever goalless streak at nine games. The Lightning had just finished a line change, and they left Ovechkin wide open. Ovie tipped in an Alexander Semin pass while waiting on the goal's doorstep. The Lightning finally showed some good puck possession while on the PP within the last couple minutes of the game, and Roberts got his second goal with about 27.4 seconds left. It was too little, too late for the Lightning.

Although he did get an assist on Ovechkin's goal, it was strange not to see a goal from Semin. He's been putting the puck in the net so often this season. Each of the four goals by the Capitals was by a different player. The win leaves Washington tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Southeast Division of the NHL.

November 10, 2008 Photos by Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP

Rangers Vs Capitals 11/08/2008 Review

Brent Johnson makes poke check save on Chris Drury penalty shot.
Photo from Associated Press

Rangers 1 - Capitals 3

Brent Johnson was absolutely brilliant in goal for the Washington Capitals again, as they outplayed the top team in the NHL's Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers.

It was the first start against the Rangers that Johnson has had since joining the team. Starts against New York had always been the job of former teammate, Olie Kolzig. The Caps scored two video reviewed goals in the first period of this hard fought game. Brooks Laich was given credit for the first, after the puck was knocked in following an odd bounce over the head Rangers' netminder Henrick Lundqvist. Just as odd as the bounce for Washington, was the fact that it came on the power play. Tom Poti scored the second goal off a Boyd Gordon rebound while following up the play. The review showed the goal had moved by being pushed by Lundqvist's right skate, and it never fully came off the peg.

Both goalies played well throughout the game. It wasn't until 6:47 in the third period that the Rangers got a goal, when Aaron Voros deflected the puck in. Brent Johnson easily poke checked away a penalty shot by Chris Drury later in the period. The final goal of the game was again scored by Alexander Semin. It was an empty netter, shot from a defensive zone face off circle. It went in with a mere 5.2 seconds left on the clock. He amazes in just about every game this season.

Other than the three goals, the Caps beat the Rangers with relentless forechecking, solid defense, and a #1 worthy netminder. They'll need to supply the same weapons Monday night, if they are going to defeat their old friend Olie Kolzig, who is scheduled to start for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Say Goodbye To Olie Kolzig

It looks like goaltender Olie Kolzig will not be playing for the Washington Capitals anymore. After 19 years of mostly excellent service to the organization that drafted him, it appears he will be playing elsewhere if at all next season. The Washington Post's Tarik El-Bashir was first to break the news. Comcast SportsNet's Jill Sorenson has since interviewed Kolzig as well. You can watch the video on Washington Post Live tonight. Also, Mike Vogel's article on the end of the fantastic Kolzig era is a must read.

The news is a little hard to take for many of us, although we all probably knew it was coming. You can't carry three goalies forever, even if all three are good. Kolzig wasn't at his best for much of the season, but don't forget that his teammates weren't much help early on. Around the time of the trade deadline, when the Cap's picked up netminder Cristobal Huet, Olie's play really picked up. Huet played as well as he has ever played in his entire career, though some of his wins came with a good bit of help from his teammates, especially in the playoffs. I'm being serious when I say that Kolzig was just as good as Huet down the stretch. However, I agree that Kolzig's effectiveness is never going to be as consistent as it used to be. At 38 years of age, you've got to expect that.

It's heartbreaking to think about how Olie stuck around through the hard times, and when the Capitals finally raise the Stanley Cup sometime within the next couple seasons, he won't be around to share in what he has rightfully earned. There have been many other great hockey players who never won the cup, and there will be plenty more. When Huet faltered in the playoffs and Kolzig wasn't even given the chance to play in one game, it became very clear that his time in Washington was over. Sad that it had to end this way, but it's "Time To Say Goodbye".

Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman - "Time To Say Goodbye"

Skid Row - "I Remember You"

Thank You Olie!

2008 Post Season Depression

It's going to take a while to get over the Washington Capitals loss in Game 7 last night. I'm so proud of each and every one of these guys. You have to be happy about how far they got this season. However, the reasons for the loss are debatable. They had some good chances to take care of it in the third period that they didn't make count. I just can't blame any of the players. The officiating was obviously the most deserving of blame, if you ask me.

As I said I'm proud of every player on the team. I'd also like to thank the players, owners, GMGM, coaches, staff and the entire Capitals organization for doing such a great job. They all deserved a better fate this season. I can't help but feel sorry for them, especially Olie Kolzig. Hopefully, he'll still be around next season. The good news is that you can be sure the Capitals will be playoff bound for years to come.

The following two songs by Queen are the tunes I reached for after the game. Music is what always gets me through life. I'll hit the sad and bittersweet stuff first. Eventually, I'll work my way up to something more cheerful. Let me know what you are listening to.

Queen - "My Melancholy Blues"


Queen - "Teo Torriatte" (Let Us Cling Together)

Bring It On (Flyers)

Graphic - NHL.com

That's right. You heard me. Bring it on, right now. Because, like all Cap's fans, I just can't wait. Let the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games begin!

The Washington Capitals may have been waiting a few more years than the Philadelphia Flyers, but they're ready. After missing the playoffs for the first time in twelve seasons for 2006-2007, the Flyers are back in it. After missing the playoffs since the 2002-2003 season, the Capitals are too.

Photo - Getty Images

Both teams ended the 2007-2008 regular season with similar records. Washington was 43-31-8 with a total of 94 points, while Philadelphia managed to go 42-29-11 with 95 points. Both teams also needed an impressive record at the end in order to make it into the playoffs. The Flyers went 7-1-1, while our Capitals took 11 of their last 12. Both won their last regular season game. The Cap's hit their longest winning streak in several years, winning the last seven in a row. These two teams split the regular season against each other 2-2.

The only way to stop Alex Ovechkin.

Like Washington, Philadelphia will be packing some fire power for the post season. Their main offense is spread out over seven players, who scored at least 20 goals this season. Meanwhile, the Capitals have their scoring spread over about four or five. Of course, 65 of Washington's 249 goals were fired off by Hockey God, Alex Ovechkin. The goalie tandem of number one Cristobal Huet and now number two Olie Kolzig will be superior in net. The Cap's defense, which has been much better than in recent years, are also ready for the job at hand. Another weapon the Capitals have is their confidence inspiring head coach, Bruce Boudreau.

No matter what the goonie bird Flyers have in mind, the magnificent Capitals will be ready. So like I said before, bring it on!

"Bring It On" by Lenny Kravitz

I'm gonna walk my faith
Gonna raise my song
I'm gonna fight my battle
Gonna praise my Lord

It's getting heavy
But I'm ready
To take on this world and rock steady
So come on, bring it on

I'm gonna face my demons
Gonna turn them down
I'm gonna keep on moving
Gonna make my sound

It's getting heavy
But I'm ready
To take on this world and rock steady
So come on, bring it on

Bring it on [11x]

Happy Birthday Olie Kolzig!

Would have gotten you a gift, but I think whatever I could afford would seem pretty lame right now. Although, I've given at least one good suggestion to some people who can afford it. Hope you had another wonderful day.

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Photo - Washingtoncaps.com

Capitals Vs Blackhawks 03/19/2008 Review

Capitals 0 - Blackhawks 5

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After winning four straight games, the Washington Capitals fell to the Chicago Blackhawks. I guess Washington being shutout last night was payback for when Olie Kolzig and the Capitals shutout the Blackhawks 4-0 the last time they were in Chicago, almost four years ago. I have to agree with CapsChick at A View From The Cheap Seats, it's better that they lost this game against a team in the West than one of the last seven games, which are all against their own Southeast Division. Best thing to do is to just "fo'ged aboud it".

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Thrashers Vs Capitals 03/14/2008 Review

Thrashers 1 - Capitals 4

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With the win against the Atlanta Thrashers, the Washington Capitals moved up one notch in the Eastern Conference standings. They're now just three points behind the eighth place Philadelphia Flyers, and five points behind the Southeast Division leading Carolina Hurricanes. The Thrashers are currently the 14th place team in the East, and looked like they're about ready to give up. The Capitals however, looked like they are determined to make the playoffs.

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The Capitals started putting the pressure on early in the first, and they kept it up all night long. That's a pretty good sign that they've learned how to win, and what it's going to take to stay in the running. But, it was Atlanta's Slava Kozlov that scored first. The Thrashers' only goal of the game came right after a hooking penalty on Caps' defenseman Shaone Morrisonn expired. About three minutes later, Washington answered back with a goal that came right after a hooking penalty by Thrashers' forward Mark Recchi expired. Capitals' Viktor Kozlov gained control of the puck behind Atlanta's net. He sent a pass to Alex Ovechkin, who deflected the puck to Brooks Laich. With goalie Kari Lehtonen already down on the ice, Laich sent his wrist shot over Lehtonen's left shoulder for his 18th goal of the season. As usual, the officiating could've been better in this game. But, it wasn't so bad that you would say it even came close to changing the outcome. Late in the first, there was an offside that seemed to be called before any Capitals' skate hit the blue line. With 5.1 seconds left in period one, Ovechkin was called for interference. He had raised both arms to give the referees a clear view of Jim Slater's arm that was wrapped around him. I guess the ref who made the call was confused by Ovie's arm raising, and thought he was trying to confess something. "There...there now, young man. Just step into the box 'n tell me everythin'."

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Just over two minutes into the second period, Brooks Laich got his second goal of the game. Atlanta's rookie defenseman Tobias Enstrom slid toward the goal mouth, strattled the right post and dislodged the net with his crotch (ouwie!). After a totally unnecessary eternity, the video review judge agreed with the official that had immediately signaled that it was in fact a goal. I think the guys reviewing the goal are probably a little sadistic, and they just kept rewinding, so that they could see Enstrom bang into the post over and over again. For his part in the play, Sami Lepisto got his first NHL assist. The Cap's kept up the pressure through the second. Lepisto almost got his first NHL goal, as he rang goal pipe. I sure thought it went in, at first. The goal horn was even sounded for a second. Well, he can save it for a time when it's needed. It was around this point in the game that the ref's missed a few more calls on Atlanta. Mike Green had taken a stick to the face a couple times, and was knocked down without the puck at this point in the game. No whistles on those plays. But, at 14:08 Washington's Donald Brashear got two minutes for interference. Not fare, but it didn't matter. Just 33 seconds after play resumed, the puck was in the back of Atlanta's net, anyway. Sergei Fedorov stripped the puck from a Thrasher and fed it to Matt Cooke. The speedy Cooke zipped down the ice and sent in the shorthanded goal between the pads of Lehtonen, putting the Capitals ahead by two. About a minute later, the Cap's almost got another goal while still on the penalty kill. Sergei Fedorov and Matt Bradley ended up with a 2 on 1 breakaway, but Bradley's wrist shot from 17 feet out didn't get through Lehtonen. Right at the end of the second period, Atlanta's Ilia Kovalchuck tried to get his team fired up by trying to pick a fight. Turns out, he was just wasting his time.

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At 1:03 into the third period, former Cap Ken Klee put Washington back on the power play with a hooking call. At 1:07, Alex Ovechkin scored the Caps' fourth goal of the game, right off the draw. Fedorov won the faceoff, sending the puck to Green. Mike got the puck to Ovechkin, who immediately put it in net for his 57th goal of the season. A very pissed off Kari Lehtonen, slammed both his fists into his pads. A little while later, Ovie rang one off the post with a very hard shot. Washington was leading by three goals, but it's a bad idea to be satisfied with that. In the end, it was plenty this time.

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Washington outshot Atlanta 37 to 12 in this game. Olie Kolzig had to feel pretty lonely in front of his net. If the Thrashers didn't have such an amazing goalie as Lehtonen guarding their net, they could easily have lost by twice as much. Between Eric Perrin's wrister at 6:44 in the first and Joel Kwiatkowski's wrist shot at 4:55 in the second period, Atlanta went 18:11 without recording a shot on goal. That's not going to put you on the road to the Stanley Cup. Both, Atlanta's offense and defense let them down in this game. The Capitals however, got a very good performance from their entire team. We've every reason to believe that Washington is a serious contender.

All Photos - Nick Wass / AP

Cake Time For Godzilla

The Washington Capitals beat the Calgary Flames last night, giving Olie Kolzig (a.k.a. Godzilla) his 300th career NHL win in net for the Cap's. With that in mind, I thought I'd post an E-Mail I sent Mike Vogel and the guys over at Washingtoncaps.com's Capitals Report Podcast three weeks before this (2007-2008) season started. The idea was that there were people within the Capitals organization that deserved some kind of special reward or acknowledgement, and that it would be good marketing for it to end up on national television.

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Hi guys,

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Have you ever heard of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore? They have a show on the Food TV channel called "Ace Of Cakes" on Thursday nights at 10:00 & 10:30 PM. Owner Duff & his staff make some incredible one of a kind creations. They've made many cakes involving pyrotechnics, including a car engine for Jay Leno. They make lots of cakes shaped like sports stadiums - Camden Yards, Ravens Stadium, etc. It's neat to see how detailed and almost realistic they get on cakes shaped like ships, cars, buildings, some guys head with his brains being eaten by zombies & so on.

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I keep thinking someone in the Caps Organization / Team deserves one. It would be nationwide exposure to possibly new fans as well as current ones. I'd really like to see a giant fire-breathing Godzilla cake for Kolzig's birthday. It could be a game against Pittsburgh with Zilla's fire melting Crosby's uniform exposing his pink Penguins thong panties, as he (Canadian Diving Team Captain) dives into the melting ice to put out the fire. Don't worry, those lips make a good floatation device.

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Thanks,

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Dan, Jr.

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There's no need to wait and order the cake for Kolzig's birthday. With Olie getting number 300, it's time for that cake now. Hopefully, the Capitals, the team's fan club, or somebody else with money, already has the order in at Charm City Cakes. If I had the cash, it would be on the way now!

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The podcast itself is still currently available for free download via iTunes. It was the September 13, 2007 show. Mike read my comments just after "last call" at about 58:23, shortly before the end of the show.

Flames Vs Capitals 03/12/2008 Review

Flames, Ref's 2 - Capitals 3

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Olie Kolzig got his 300th career NHL win for the Washington Capitals, as they beat the Calgary Flames. Olie was amazing in net, while getting plenty of help from Alex Ovechkin and the rest of his mates. Calgary's netminder Miikka Kiprusoff was amazing as well, while getting plenty of help from his teammates and the referees.

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The Capitals flew out of the starting gate, immediately getting a few shots on Kiprusoff. Just 53 seconds into the first period, Viktor Kozlov deflected in a Nicklas Backstrom shot. Shortly after, Kolzig got busy at the other end, making multiple awesome saves. His teammate Alexander Semin made things interesting for a moment, by trying to get the puck out of the zone via the slot in front of his net. But, Olie stayed sharp and quick. Then, it got interesting at the other end. As Kiprusoff came over to one side to guard his net against Cap's forward Matt Bradley. A muffled shot skittered through the crease to the other side, and Kiprusoff ended up getting called for hooking. The Cap's spent most of the power play in the Flames zone, but without any success. Toward the end of the period, Mike Green put a big hit on Calgary's Eric Godard. Green ended up going down to the ice. Since the clueless ref's didn't seem to notice Green was getting punched out while laying flat on his back, John Erskine skated over to rectify the situation. Both, Godard and Erskine were hit with matching five minute majors. Just over a minute later, Bradley went to the penalty box for interference. Exactly one minute after that, Washington's Milan Jurcina high sticked Calgary's Jarome Iginla. The Capitals haven't been doing very well when on the short end of a 5 on 3 power play. With 45 seconds left in the first, Iginla sent a screened slapshot off of Caps' Boyd Gordon. When the puck hit Gordon, it ramped upward and past Kolzig for Iginla's 42nd goal of the season. The period ended tied at 1-1.

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Washington spent a good bit of the second period's first six minutes in the offensive zone. They made some beautiful plays, especially Alex Semin and Sergei Fedorov. But, they didn't get anything by Kiprusoff. Then the referees increased their attempts to help the Flames. Erskine was called for tripping at 6:57, on what looked very much like a dive by Calgary's Craig Conroy. Then another Cap's defenseman, Shaone Morrisonn went to the box for an unbelievable dive by Owen Nolan. Another 5 on 3 situation. So of course, another PP goal by the Flames. This time, it was a snap shot by Kristian Huselius, putting Calgary ahead 2-1. Another overlooked Flames infraction came at about 12:25, when Bradley was clothes lined while reaching for the puck in the neutral zone. It was just impossible to not see this, yet no whistle was blown. I guess we're supposed to believe Brad's body violently flinging upward and backward was due to a rut in the ice. No hit, or anything else showed up on the play by play list. The officials did call four penalties on the Flames during period two, but they let several others go unpunished. Finally, at 17:21 Huselius went to the box for hooking Backstrom. Just 24 seconds later, Alex Ovechkin curled around a defender and sent number 55 on the season into the net. Another bright spot at the end of the period, was a massive hit on Calgary's Dion Phaneuf by Jurcina. Phaneuf was quite shaky as he headed to the Flames' bench.

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The third period was much the same. More inconsistent officiating, and more hard fought scoring chances by the Capitals. Iginla seemed to be offended by Mike Green when he was slashed by Huselius. Was it Green's fault Huselius slammed his stick across Mike's hand? Jarome even took a swipe at Green, while being "held back" by a ref. Owen Nolan was called for a high stick on Brooks Laich at 16:31, the Flames' eighth called penalty of the game. With Laich screening the Kiprusoff, Ovechkin's long range slapper went in for his league leading 20th PP goal of the season. The goal was also brings Ovechkin's goal total to 56 and point total to 97, both also tops in the NHL. After a Flames' time out, there was 1:03 left on the clock and an empty net in the Flames end. With just 24 seconds left in the game, Ovie went down while driving to the net and being covered by Phaneuff. He was about one step away from getting yet another hat trick.

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The Cap's played another wonderful game. This time, they didn't let the crappy ref's ruin it for them. They didn't let penalties destroy their chance of winning just before time ran out. Olie Kolzig and his Washington Capitals were not to be denied. Hopefully this kind of effort continues for their last 11 games.

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All Photos - Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP