Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Leafs @ Caps

[WashingtonCaps.com Preview - AP Preview - Official Game Day Thread]

The Caps have begun talking about a new multi-year contract with Olie Kolzig. Alex Ovechkin will play tonight, Dainius Zubrus and Chris Clark expect to, Jeff Halpern and Matt Bradley are questionable (to play - zip it, peanut gallery) and Steve Eminger is out. In other house keeping news, the team sent Boyd Gordon, Mike Green and Colin Forbes back to Hershey.

Now that those particulars are out of the way, I'd like to share news of an exciting opportunity that has come my way. Waiting in my inbox yesterday morning was the following email:

To: Japers.Rink -at- gmail.com
From: ***************
Subject: Hi--I enjoy reading your blog
Let me know when you want to go to a Caps game with me--we can sit in the box--meet some folks and catch up.Keep up the great work. Ted Leonsis

I'm half-surprised my computer didn't blurt out "You've got mail!" in the thrill of the moment. Recalling that Eric over at Off Wing Opinion had received a similar email a couple of months back, I quickly emailed him to check the authenticity of the one I'd received. "Dude -- that so is Ted." Sweet. It seems that Eric, kind soul that he is, dropped this blog's name (among others) to the Caps' owner and apparently soon thereafter the average annual income of our readership skyrocketed.

So long-story-less-long, Mrs. Rink and I will be attending tonight's Caps/Leafs game as guests of Mr. Leonsis. I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about it tomorrow, but in the meantime, if there is anything you would like me to ask or convey to one of the most accessible owners in professional sports, I'd be happy to pass it along. And if you're wondering how Eric's evening went back in November, read about it here and here.

[Edit: for a recap of my night in the owners' box, click here.]

In other news from 'round the rinks:

• On this day in 1954, Dave "Tiger" Williams was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. While best known for his 3,966 career penalty minutes, Williams also potted 241 goals and 513 points in 962 games for Toronto, Vancouver, Detroit, Los Angeles and Hartford, and was an All-Star in 1981 (a season in which he racked up 35 goals, 27 assists and 343 PIMs).
• Tonight Scott Stevens will have his jersey retired by the Devils. Oh, what might have been...

Daily Awards

• Hart: Lee Stempniak (2 goals, shootout game-winner, +1, 5 SOG)
• Ross: Martin Straka, Wade Redden, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Kyle Calder (3 points each)
• Norris: Duncan Keith (2 goals, including game-tying goal with under five minutes left +3)
• Vezina: Curtis Joseph (24 saves on 35 shots against in shootout win)
• Richard: Daniel Alfredsson, Mark Parrish, Duncan Keith, Lee Stempniak, Scott Thornton, Scott Walker (2 goals each)
• Calder: Lee Stempniak (2 goals, shootout game-winner, +1, 5 SOG)
• Aiken: Sebastien Caron (L, 7 goals against on 26 shots)