Here Kitty...Kitty

One way or another, the Washington Capitals will know if they will be in the playoffs somewhere around 9:30 PM tonight. As long as they don't lose before the end of the third period, they're in. That's what it's come down to. The last second of the last game of the regular season.

Personally, I'm feeling pretty confident. I think our boys are too. They definitely have the determination to beat the Florida Panthers. Now they have to act on that.

See the following blogs for more:

For the basic requirements see Shmee's "A perfect opportunity" at Capital Addiction .

For the detailed breakdown see DMG's "Panthers/Capitals Preview" at Caps Blue Line .

For the short and sweet version CapsChick's "Destiny In Our Hand's" at A View From The Cheap Seats .

For the fans losing sleep see Aneesa's "It's 3:00 am" at Love The Game, Don't Like Puck Bunnies .

By the way, I don't wish actual harm to any cats. I actually like cats.......You know.....With the right sauce!

Thanks to Cherie for passing along another photo.

Lightning Hit Rock Bottom 2007-2008

This Poster shows how the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2007-2008 season is ending. How's the view from there Torts?

Thanks to Cherie for forwarding this poster from Linda.

Keep Yourself Alive!

I just had to post this Queen video in retaliation to Capital Addiction using the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" . Queen Rocks! So do the Washington Capitals. "Keep Yourself Alive" guys!

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Lightning Vs Capitals 04/03/2008 Review

Lightning 1 - Capitals 4

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The Washington Capitals earned their sixth consecutive win and moved into eighth place in the NHL's Eastern Conference, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning at home in front of yet another sellout crowd. It's the first time the Capitals have managed six straight since January 8-19, 2000. Goalie Cristobal Huet has now won eight straight starts. Alex Ovechkin had another multi goal game. The first one was the game winner, which is something Alex has done 11 times this season.

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The Lightning got their only goal just 39 seconds into the first period. Huet was having trouble controlling a rebound within traffic, when Filip Kuba popped the puck into the net. About 90 seconds later, Washington thought they had tied the score. No penalty was called, but Brooks Laich's goal was denied because of "incidental contact". Apparently, when heavyweight (yeah, right!) forward Tomas Fleischmann pushed Lightning defender Matt Smaby (went down real easy) in front of the net, he hit goalie Karri Ramo as a result. Ramo certainly didn't suffer any injury, as he made several incredibly quick saves throughout the night. Our guy, Huet was very sharp as well. Ramo was far busier in the first though, as Washington outshot Tampa Bay 20-5. At 12:01, Alex Ovechkin scored his 64th goal of the season. He took a Viktor Kozlov rebound and banked it off a defender into the net. With that, he surpassed "Lucky" Luc Robitaille for the NHL record on goals scored in a season by a left wing.

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About five minutes into the second period, it looked like Tampa Bay might even up the score. Huet left a juicy rebound in front of Martin StLouis, but Mike Green quickly cleared the puck before Marty could do any harm. Both goalies guarded their goals very well in the second. They didn't see a huge number of shots, but they had to make a couple difficult saves. About a minute before the end of the period, Ovechkin blocked a hard shot with his right knee. He went to the dressing room before the horn, but returned at the start of the third period.

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Washington outshot Tampa Bay again in the third. But, Huet still had to come up with some good saves, including a big one on Vinny Lecavalier 50 seconds into the period that left Vinny shaking his head. Lecavalier was injured later on, after a collision with Caps' Matt Cooke that sent him into Michel Ouellet before he went down, landing on his left wrist. I was glad to hear the applause from the crowd for Vinny as he went off the ice, holding his wrist. He did not return, and it looked like his injury might be fairly serious. Retaliation was swift, coming in the form of a crosscheck from Jussi Jokinen at 7:26. This stupid move would not be the last in the game from the Lightning. Alex Ovechkin fought back in a much better manner 24 seconds later. Taking a cross ice pass from Green just inside the blue line, Ovie sent a long range shot past Ramo's blocker side for number 65 and the game winning power play goal. It was his 22nd power play goal of the season, tying the team record held by former Capital Peter Bondra. The familiar M-V-P chant once again came from the crowd.

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About a minute later, celebrations were temporarily put on hold. The Cap's ended up having to kill off a four minute double minor, thanks to a high stick by John Erskine that left blood streaming from Kuba's nose. Washington had very little trouble burning up the Lightning PP, sending several clearings almost the full length of the ice. Sure, the referees didn't exactly call the game perfectly. But, at 14:00 Smaby was sent to the box for holding. He was upset about the crappy way the season was coming to an end for his lousy team. If he needed to be comforted so badly, he could've at least picked one of his own teammates for the hug. For his unfortunate choice, the result was Boyd Gordon sending a Matt Bradley rebound into the back of the net. With Ramo pulled for the extra Lightning skater a couple minutes later, it was time for Tom Poti to send in an empty netter from deep in the Washington end of the ice. With 22.9 seconds left in the game, Tampa Bay went a little crazy. They had too many "men" on the ice completely intentionally. They tried to pick fights all over the ice. It's been suggested that they might be rewarded for their efforts with fines tomorrow, but I doubt it. Junior Lessard did get the fight he thought he wanted from Bradley. Of course, that turned out to be a big mistake. Brads made a complete fool of the witless wonder, with about 16 seconds left on the clock. Brilliant!

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Right after the game, Comcast SportsNet's Lisa Hillary did a short interview with Alex Ovechkin rinkside. He thanked the fans for all their support. The fans thanked Alex and the Cap's right back with some more loud cheers. Having the NHL's fifth best powerplay didn't help the Lightning in this game. Unfortunately, the Ottawa Senators didn't help Washington tonight either, as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 8-2. Don't give up hope Cap's fans. The season's not over yet. Washington's last game is Saturday, against the Florida Panthers. If they win, they still have a couple chances to make the playoffs. What are the chances that both the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers will win both of their last two games? Have a little faith!

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All Photos - Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP

Celine Dion - She Will, She Will Rock You!

OK, so she's a Queen fan. Who with good musical taste isn't (ha, ha)? But, really. Get a load of this Cape Town, South Africa Queen medley performance. I'm not a big fan of Celine Dion. However, pretty decent job. According to some reports, she had said she was thinking about doing some of their songs on her new "Taking Chances" world tour, and she did!

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Hurricanes Vs Capitals 04/01/2008 Review

Hurricanes 1 - Capitals 4

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The Washington Capitals are serious contenders for the playoffs. They hit five straight wins last night, beating the Southeast Division's first place Carolina Hurricanes. It's the first time Washington has managed five straight since March 3 - March 11, 2001. Goalie Cristobal Huet netted his seventh straight win, reaching 30 wins in a season for the first time in his career. The Capitals seem ready to take on anybody, right now.

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The hitting started early in the game. Showing Carolina that the Capitals were ready to do whatever it was going to take to win this game, Washington delivered six hits in the first 5:47. They seemed to all come in pairs. Chad LaRose probably thought the Cap's were picking on him, with Matt Cooke getting him at 0:43 followed by Viktor Kozlov at 1:14. It was Cooke that got the scoring started fifteen minutes into the first period. Sergei Fedorov fed the puck to Mike Green, who sent a long range shot toward the goal. Cooke was there to put the rebound past Cam Ward. About a minute and a half later, Shaone Morrisonn took a hard shoulder check by Jeff Hamilton. Morrisonn did not return to the game. The Capitals are calling it an upper body injury. I'm guessing it could be a separated shoulder. I hope it's not that serious, because Mo is a major part of the Washington defense. Just before the end of the first period, the Capitals went on the power play. Kozlov passed the puck to Tomas Fleischmann as Washington entered the offensive zone. From the side wall, Flash sent the puck to Brooks Laich in the slot. Laich effortlessly backhanded in his 21st goal of the season, putting the Cap's ahead 2-0.

. Just 2:38 into the second period, Scott Walker got the 'canes only goal of the game. With Laich's stick slashed from his hands and Walker running over top of Huet, defenseman Milan Jurcina actually pushed Walker and the puck into the net while trying to clear the crease. In the end it wouldn't matter. About three minutes later, Huet skated about thirty feet out from the net to put a big hit on Eric Staal, who was on a breakaway. Awesome! It really got rough in the second. Both teams got their power play chances. But, the Capitals were the only ones making those chances count. Around the 13:00 mark, Staal gave Huet a little whack with his stick as he skated by. Alex Ovechkin went after him at the end wall. Staal went down unbelievably easily. Carolina's Niclas Wallin got into the mix. With Ovechkin and Wallin in the penalty boxes, Washington got their second PP goal. Fedorov's shot was blocked, and the puck went over to Green, who's shot was also blocked. Alexander Semin was parked right at the left post. He collected the puck between his skates and somehow roofed the sharp angle shot. Carolina head coach Peter Laviolette erupted in anger over the coincidental minor that put Wallin in the box right before the goal. Wouldn't have made a difference Petie. For his part, Ovechkin got roughed up at the end of the period by Bret Hedican. Real smart 'canes.

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The Hurricanes were finally able to keep Washington's shots down to match their own eight in the third period. But, it was too little, too late. Carolina kept trying to draw penalties. But, they kept matching their successes with penalties of their own, in the third. With just under four minutes left, Jeff Schultz fed an outlet pass to Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom skated deep into the Hurricanes' end before dropping it off to Ovechkin. Ovie grabbed the rolling puck, spun around and banked it off the far post for goal number 63 of the season.

. The Capitals spent 50 days in the Southeast's last place earlier this season. They are now tied for first place, as far as points. They are just one point away from being the sole owner of that spot. They are also just one point out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference. They still have a shot at getting into the playoffs via one of those routes.

All Photos - Nick Wass / AP

Don't Blink Eighth Spot Hopefuls!

This is just a "friendly" warning to the teams trying to fight off the Washington Capitals for the final playoff spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

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Capitals Vs Panthers 03/29/2008 Review

Photo - AP

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Capitals 3 - Panthers 0

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With 32 saves from Cristobal Huet, the Washington Capitals shutout the Florida Panthers. The convincing win by the Cap's eliminates the Panthers from the playoff race. Netminder Huet has now won six straight starts. Viktor Kozlov (3), Alexander Ovechkin (2) and Tom Poti (2), all three had a multi point game in Washington's 40th victory of the season.

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The Capitals came out buzzing right away in the first period. Washington outshot Florida 10-6 in the first 20 minutes. That sixth shot on goal by the Panthers, was the only one they could manage in the last ten minutes of the period. So, both the offense and the defense were working pretty well for Washington. However, Florida's goalie Tomas Vokoun kept the Cap's out of the net, while Huet was doing the same against the Panthers in the Caps' end, during the first.

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Photo - Hans Deryk / AP

The second period started off with a Panthers' breakaway. But, Huet came up with the big save on Jozef Stumpel. On a little give and go play with Brooks Laich, it was Viktor Kozlov who put the Cap's on the board first at 2:48. Tom Poti got the first of his two helpers on this play, as he was the one who got the puck deep into the zone for Kozlov. Big bad John Erskine and the other defenseman cleared the crease in front of Washington's goal, and Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Cooke and Brooks Laich were getting their shots on Panthers' net. Then it was Caps' defenseman Mike Green who put Washington ahead by two with just over five minutes left in the second. From the right side of the net, Alex Ovechkin passed the puck to Green on the left side. Green put it past Vokoun for his 18th goal of the season. Mike continues to lead all real NHL defenseman in goals. The Panthers' Jassen Cullimore was called for hooking Boyd Gordon right before the horn. Gordon was at the right post, about to tip in number three.

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In the third period Erskine and Cooke continued to put big hits on the Panthers, and Huet continued to make the big saves. The Capitals' third goal came at 11:32. Poti cleared the puck from the Caps' zone to Kozlov, who skated the puck across the top of the Panthers' crease while being hooked. Ovechkin collected the puck, and his wrister went in for his 62nd goal of this season. Later in the period, the Panthers did make a little bit of a push. But, Washington clogged up the slot, making it impossible to get through to the net.

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Photo - Steve Nesius / AP

Including this last road game of the season, the Capitals have won eight of their last nine games. This is only the third time this season that Washington has won four straight. The last two times coming in these last nine games. They have yet to get five straight. They may have to win all of their remaining games to make the playoffs. All three of the Capitals' remaining games will be played at home, next week. They seem to be pretty hot right now. So, we still have hope.

Capitals Vs Hurricanes 03/25/2008 Review

Capitals 3 - Hurricanes 2 SO

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The Washington Capitals are now even (4W-4L) with shootouts on the season. The shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes also moves them up to 4 points behind Carolina in the Southeast Division standings. Since the Boston Bruins also won their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Cap's are still 2 points out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.

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At the start of the first period, you could tell that Washington was determined to take this game. Their hunger for the win showed as they peppered their prey with shots on goal in preparation for the feast that was ultimately to come in the end. However, Carolina caught up with the Cap's shots wise later in the first. Both, Washington's Cristobal Huet and Carolina's Cam Ward would have to be sharp in net, and both were. The first to strike was the Hurricanes. After Alexander Semin was awarded two minutes in the penalty box for hooking, the 'canes got their first lucky bounce with just 13.3 seconds left in the opening period. Jeff Hamilton sent a pass toward Joe Corvo, but the puck deflected off of the back of a skate of Washington's Boyd Gordon. The puck went about 40 feet, zipping past Huet, who was being screened by Erik Cole.

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The first goal for the Capitals was also on the power play. With the referees deciding to call a couple of the infractions that took place a third of the way through the second period, Washington had a 5 on 3 situation. One second after Trevor Letowski got out of the box, the Cap's evened the score during 5 on 4. While Washington was cycling the puck deep in the offensive zone, the 'canes found themselves frozen. With their opponents "puck watching" instead of defending, our boys struck. From the slot, Nicklas Backstrom fed Sergei Fedorov at the right side of the net. He then slid the biscuit through the top of the crease to Alexander Semin on the other side. Semin snapped it home, to make the score even. Later on, Carolina's Scott Walker - who had already missed 17 games earlier in the season due to a torso injury, slammed into the boards while trying to make a big hit on Milan Jurcina. Jurcina, skating out of the corner with the puck, saw Walker coming and hit the brakes to avoid the impact. Walker left the ice, but returned later in the game. Shortly after, Victor Kozlov had control of the puck in the offensive zone. He left a drop pass for Backstrom. Nicklas sent the puck to Alex Ovechkin, as he drove straight through the slot. Alex rang the inside of the right post with his 61st goal of the season, surpassing the Capitals' single season record formerly held by Dennis Maruk. Maruk had called Ovechkin earlier in the day to wish him luck in breaking the 26 year old club record.

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Still in the second period, possession of the puck rapidly pin balled back and forth for a while, and Ovie crushed a couple 'canes before another adjustment was made to the score. Cole was driving to Washington's net when Shaone Morrisonn tried to clear him with a hit that helped send him into netminder Huet, which drove them (and the puck?) into the goal. The referee at the net, lost sight of the puck. Apparently, the judges in Toronto had a video that they didn't care to share with anyone else. While neither Comcast SportsNet or the Washington Capitals had a video conclusively showing the puck completely cross the goal line, somebody supposedly coughed one up. So, the higher ups counted the goal anyway. Oh well? It wouldn't matter in the end. So, it was 2-2 after two.

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The third period held plenty of good hockey action. Both goalies were great. Mike Green made a wonderful play, containing Erik Cole while without a stick. His efforts helping to thwart Cole's scoring attempt. Morrisonn poked the puck away from Cole on another drive, with 11 seconds left in regulation. To me, Mo probably saved the game on that one.

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Five minutes of overtime wasn't enough to finish off the game. Washington had a couple chances, but there was no getting through Cam Ward. He even made an odd looking standing save on Ovechkin, squeezing the puck between his catching glove and his blocker. Don't see that happen very often, these days. Actually, both Huet and Ward have that same rare hybrid style - half butterfly, half old time stand up. Thankfully, the shootout didn't go on and on, the way it sometimes does. The first five guys didn't have any luck. But, our specialist Viktor Kozlov effortlessly sent the puck past Ward top shelf.

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The win puts the Capitals within one game of an even season series with the Hurricanes. They will get their last chance to make it 4-4, when Carolina pays their last regular season visit to Washington, DC on Tuesday, April 1st. This victory gives Cristobal Huet his fourth straight win. Of course, Alex Ovechkin broke another club record with his 61st goal of the season. But, he does that record breaking thing on a fairly regular bassis. So, thanks to both Alex's for their regulation goals. Thanks to Mo for the nice defensive play at the end of the third. Finally, thank you Kozzy for hitting the back of the net in the shootout!

All Photos - Karl DeBlaker / AP

Elvis Has Missed The Building?

Photo - Bumpershine.com

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Just a real quick mention of Elvis Costello going on tour with his old mates, The Imposters. They don't seem to be hitting Baltimore, MD or Washington, DC with this tour. So, if you missed him on one of his other recent tours (Orchestral, Bob Dylan, etc.), you could always head to Columbus, Ohio or Burgettstown, PA or maybe Philadelphia, PA. Is the Chance to see Elvis with The Imposters worth the trip? OK, now for the really bad news about these gigs. For most of them, the other half of the bill is The Police. Yeah, at least for now. You know how well those guys get along these days. Check out the Elvis Costello MySpace for all the dates and venues, as the regular web site is currently under reconstruction.

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Anyway, how about a video or two to mull over that musical road trip?

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Carbon/Silicon Or The Clash Meets Gen X Tour

Another tour is on. This one's for all you Punks out there! Carbon/Silicon have hit the States (1 gig in Canada) to promote their first full length album, titled The Last Post.

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Founding members include former lead guitarist and singer for The Clash - Mick Jones, as well as former Generation X bassist Tony James. You might recall that singer Billy Idol came from Gen X. The bassist for this band is Leo "Eazykill" Williams, who worked together with Jones in another successful band, Big Audio Dynamite. Behind the drum kit is former Reef member Dominic Greensmith. James has now switched to playing guitar. Mick, who has some experience playing many different instruments, also plays guitar and shares vocals with Tony in this latest collaboration.

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These guys have been mates for years, and played together in bands of various genres and degrees of success. Carbon/Silicon started off in 2002 with a fairly techno sound, with lots of rock samples and dance music in the mix. By the time they started doing live gigs in 2004, they started shifting more toward the organic soul or "Carbon" (Mick Jones) end of the music spectrum. This has brought a contrasting balance to the techno pop or "Silicon" (Tony James) part of the bargain. There are still definitely elements of The Clash and Generation X in this music. It's just a bit more upbeat. They are an internet friendly band. James is a former computer programmer. Carbon/Silicon still continue to release their new material for free via their web site, as they've always done.

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Here's a couple videos from the current tour.

. "Really The Blues" 03/14/2008 @ SXSW Festival Austin, TX

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. "Caesar's Palace" 03/15/2008 @ Waterloo Records Austin, TX

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More Tour Dates On The Schedule: .

Seattle, WA - Chop Suey - 03/23/2008 .

Portland, OR - Lola's Room/Crystal Ballroom - 03/24/2008 .

Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre - 03/27/2008 .

Kansas City, MO - Record Bar - 03/29/2008 .

Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre - 03/30/2008 .

Chicago, IL - Double Door - 03/31/2008 .

Toronto, Canada - Lee's Place - 04/02/2008 .

New York, NY - Fillmore/Irving Plaza - 04/04/2008 .

Cambridge, MA - T.T. The Bears - 04/05/2008 .

Washington, DC - The 9:30 Club - 04/06/2008 .

Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live - 04/07/2008 .

Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century Theatre - 04/09/2008 .

Atlanta, GA - The Loft - 04/14/2008 .

Orlando, FL - The Social - 04/15/2008 .

Indio, CA - Coachella Festival - 04/26/2008

Capitals Vs Thrashers 03/21/2008 Review

Capitals 5 - Thrashers 3

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After getting behind by two in the second period, the Washington Capitals roared back in the second half of the third, to beat the Atlanta Thrashers. Washington's superstar left wing forward Alex Ovechkin netted goals number 59 and 60 for the season, during his four point game. His linemate, center Nicklas Backstrom had a three point night, including the tying and game winning goals.

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There wasn't much to cheer about in the first period, for either team. But, Washington's defenseman Steve Eminger did alright in another rare appearance. He managed a couple shots, including one long range slapper that was on goal. Emmy also got a hit on Atlanta's Jim Slater. Caps' Viktor Kozlov got off a few good shots, as well as winning a few draws in the faceoff circle. It was Ovechkin that got the scoring started at 15:18. Kozlov sent an outlet pass to Backstrom. Nicklas carried the puck out of Washington's end and all the way up ice before dropping it off to Alex, after entering the offensive zone. Ovie headed across the ice, then sent a wrister in five hole for his 59th goal of the season. He let out a big yell of excitement and probably relief, as his mates joined him in celebration.

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There would be no celebration or even relief for the Cap's in the second period. Sergei Fedorov and the boys did pretty well in the faceoff circle. They outshot the Thrashers 14-10. But, somehow it was Atlanta that ended up doing all the celebrating in the middle period. At 4:11, rookie Tobias Enstrom's snapshot power play goal got things rolling for the Thrash. Less than four minutes later, with the Capitals on the PP, Atlanta's Jim Slater got his first ever shorthanded goal. His breakaway opportunity came about when Eric Perrin picked off a pass from Ovechkin, and sent the puck to Slater. Goalie Cristobal Huet and the Washington defense were able to hold them off for a little while after that. But, Huet wasn't exactly playing at his best. In the Cap's end, it was Perrin getting the puck to Slater again. He bobbled the puck for a moment, but still easily managed to put it past Cris. The multi goal game was another first for Slater. Washington's best chance was a seriously hard and somewhat screened long range slapshot from Mike Green. But, a backward rolling Kari Lehtonen made the glove save.

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Early in the third period, the Cap's still weren't getting it past Lehtonen. However, a couple shots by Sergei Fedorov and Matt Cooke did hit a goal post. By the midpoint of the third period, Washington started putting a fair amount of pressure on Lehtonen and the Thrashers. They kept a good bit of traffic in front of the net, and sent a lot of shots toward the goal. With about 8 1/2 minutes left in the period, Alex Ovechkin tipped in a Mike Green rebound for goal number 60 on the season. It's been 12 years since anyone has been able to hit that mark. The goal seemed to fire up the Cap's even more. Less than three minutes later, Ovie came very close to getting a hat trick. Kari Lehtonen ended up on his back while making the save. Shortly after, Green brought the puck coast to coast, and casually sent it over to Backstrom. Nickie then roofed a wrister far side, tying up the game with his 13th goal of the season at 16:00. Exactly 32 seconds later, Backstrom tipped in a pass from Alex Ovechkin for his 14th and the game winner. A very pissed off Kari Lehtonen sent equipment flying. Capitals' netminder Olie Kolzig sure knows exactly how frustrated Lehtonen was feeling, with the inconsistent effort by his teammates. With Lehtonen pulled for the extra skater and 7.8 seconds left on the clock, Washington forward Boyd Gordon popped in an empty netter to well and truly put it away.

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What an exciting comeback finish. The Cap's haven't managed such a feat since beating this same team after being behind coming into the third period on January 6, 2007. It's a lot to take in really. A four goal third period, a multi point game by Ovechkin (2 goals - #59 and #60, 2 assists) and Backstrom (2 goals, 1 assist). Alex becomes only the second Washington Capital to get 60 goals in a single season. The other being Dennis Maruk, way back in the 1981-1982 season. Of course, nobody in the entire NHL has done it since the 1995-1996 season. Washington outshot Atlanta 45-18 overall, 23-2 in the third period alone. With the victory, they have won one of those "must win" games. At least we can all be in a good mood for a few days before the Cap's road trip lands them in Raleigh, North Carolina to face the Hurricanes on Tuesday, March 25th.

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All Game Photos - John Amis / AP

#60 Puck Photo - Getty Images, #60 Graphic - Washington Capitals

Queen + Paul Rodgers 2008 European Tour Press Release

In case you haven't heard yet, Queen + Paul Rodgers are to release their first studio album together. According to today's BBC News article, they plan to call it The Cosmos Rocks, and release the album on September 1, 2008. Here's the official Tour Press Release posted yesterday, March 19, 2008. It includes the currently scheduled European Tour dates. It also has some historical information for people who might be a little behind the rest of us serious fans. With the tour being announced before the album is even out yet, you can tell these guys are anxious to hit the boards again.


Queen + Paul Rodgers Rock The Cosmos 2008 Concert Tour

Well, at least UK, Northern Eurasia, Central, Southern and Eastern Europe

With highly anticipated return to Latin America expected to follow


Tour heralds in first new Queen studio album in 13 Years

With a new album in the pipeline - the first new studio album to carry the Queen name since the Freddie Mercury sessions – Queen is heading back on the road for a four-month tour, once again in the company of musician/singer/songwriter Paul Rodgers who joined the band for the highly successful 2005/2006 world tour, the European leg of which ended with the band’s spectacular London Hyde Park open air concert before going on to play the US and Japan. In all, the band’s tour was attended by more than a million people.

Together Brian May, Roger Taylor and Paul Rodgers have recorded their first album’s worth of material, jointly written and produced. With the title yet to be disclosed, the album is being readied for release September 1, two weeks ahead of the start of the tour.

The Queen + Paul Rodgers 28-date arena tour will take in 14 countries in just seven weeks, and take the band to Northern Eurasia, Central and Southern Europe, and the UK, and is expected to wind up at the end of the year with the band’s highly anticipated return to South America, the setting of some of its most historic tours in the early 80’s.

Queen’s historic Latin America dates set new world records for the numbers of the audiences it attracted. At the 1985 Rock in Rio concert the band played to an unheard of audience of 300,000 and was watched on television by nearly 200 million people throughout the South American continent.

The 2008 tour kicks off mid-September in Russia with two dates at Moscow’s SCO Olympic Arena, moves on into Poland for a massive free concert at the historic Gdansk Shipyard, and then follows a path through Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands before arriving in the UK early October for 6 dates including London’s 02 Arena on October 13.

The UK dates see the band additionally play Nottingham, Glasgow, Cardiff and Birmingham with a final UK date at Liverpool Arena on October 18 before continuing on to Spain, Hungary, Serbia, Czech Republic and Austria for seven further dates.

Tracks on the new Queen + Paul Rodgers album are all newly written by May, Taylor and Rodgers during the late 2007/ early 2008 recording sessions. ‘Say It’s Not True’, previously released at the end of last year by Queen + Paul Rodgers as a special World Aids Day download for Nelson Mandela’s 46664 HIV AIDS charity will be included, plus a ‘first’ for a Queen album – a cover version.

One of these tracks, C-lebrity, will receive a sneak preview when the band make a by-demand return to the UK’s ITV Al Murray’s Happy Hour for the final show on April 4.

Queen’s last studio album release was “Made In Heaven” released in November 1995 containing the last recordings with Freddie. The album became the band’s biggest selling studio album, with world sales in excess of 20 million.

Queen’s “Greatest Hits 1” album has achieved the distinction of being the UK’s biggest selling album of all time, having sold a staggering 5,407,587 copies in Britain alone (source: VH1/The Official UK Charts Company. November 2006).

Paul Rodgers is and has been one of the most sought after and recognizable vocalists in rock music. Celebrating his 40th anniversary as a recording artist, Rodgers is known for his work as a founding member of bands Free, Bad Company, The Firm and as a Grammy nominated solo artist. He has written, produced and recorded some of radios biggest hits including “All Right Now,” “Feel Like Making Love,” and “Radioactive.” Rodgers’ latest CD/DVD release, “Live in Glasgow,” charted internationally and was recently certified Gold.

Between them, Queen and Paul Rodgers have released more than 50 albums during their long careers and sold in excess of a staggering 300 million records.

Tickets for all UK dates will go on sale at venue box offices and usual ticket agents from Saturday April 5.

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Official UK tour hotline: 08700 11 26 26

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http://www.ticketzone.co.uk/

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Pre-registration is available from Wednesday April 2 at:

http://www.queenonline.com/

http://www.queenpluspaulrodgers.com/

http://www.paulrodgers.com/

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UK ticket prices: £49.40, £39.50 (check venues).

A Phil McIntyre Entertainment Tour.

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The Cosmos Rocks over Europe at:

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EUROPE LEG 1:

Tuesday 16 September Moscow SCO Olympic Arena RUSSIA

Wednesday 17 September Moscow SCO Olympic Arena RUSSIA

Saturday 20 September Gdansk Shipyard POLAND

Sunday 21 September Berlin Velodrom GERMANY

Tuesday 23 September Antwerp Sportspaleis BELGIUM

Wednesday 24 September Paris Bercy FRANCE

Friday 26 September Rome Palalottomatica ITALY

Sunday 28 September Verona Arena ITALY

Monday 29 September Zurich Hallenstadion SWITZERLAND

Wednesday 1 October Munich Olympiahalle GERMANY

Thursday 2 October Mannheim SAP Arena GERMANY

Saturday 4 October Hannover TUI Arena GERMANY

Sunday 5 October Hamburg Color Line Arena GERMANY

Tuesday 7 October Rotterdam Ahoy NETHERLANDS

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UK:

Friday 10 October Nottingham Arena

Saturday 11 October Glasgow SE&CC

Monday 13 October London 02

Tuesday 14 October Cardiff Arena

Thursday 16 October Birmingham NIA

Saturday 18 October Liverpool Arena

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EUROPE LEG 2:

Wednesday 22 October Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi SPAIN

Friday 24 October Murcia Estadio Municipal SPAIN

Saturday 25 October Madrid Palacio de Deportes SPAIN

Tuesday 28 October Budapest Sportarena, HUNGARY

Wednesday 29 October Belgrade Arena SERBIA

Friday 31 October Prague 02 Arena CZECH REPUBLIC

Saturday 1 November Vienna Stadthalle AUSTRIA

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2005-2006 World Tour Photos, Album Graphic - Queen + Paul Rodgers

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.