It's Friday

It's Friday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is February 10th, the 41st day of 2012. There are 325 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Winter Festival provides great opportunity for Detroit.

Gretzky impressed with his former franchises.

Visit the official league website, http://www.nhl.com/.

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Today's Birthdays: TV personality Jim Cramer is 57; TV host George Stephanopoulos is 51; Radio and TV host Glenn Beck is 48; Actress Elizabeth Banks (Man on a Ledge, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) is 38; Actress Chloë Moretz (Hugo, Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass) is 15.

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New York, NY. -- Brad Richards is sick and tired of answering questions about his recent struggles. Perhaps his heroics on Thursday night will put an end to the inquiries, at least for the time being.

The Rangers' $60 million man scored with 2:23 left in overtime to complete a 4-3 comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. It was Richards' second goal and fourth point in the past 13 games.

"It felt good," said Richards of his 17th goal of the season. "Maybe now you guys can stop talking about it."

Read the rest here.

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Today is Plimsoll Day. (Linky Link)

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U.S. National Under-17 Team Blanks Germany, 8-0, in 2012
Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament

Frye Makes 22 Saves in Shutout; Thirteen Players Record at Least One Point for Team USA

PIESTANY, Slovakia - Curtis Frye (Northwood, N.H.) made 22 saves and 13 players recorded at least one point, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team blanked Germany, 8-0, in the 2012 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament here this afternoon at the Piestany Ice Arena. With the victory, Team USA improved to 2-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L).

"This was a team effort all-around, from top to bottom," said Don Granato, head coach of the U.S. National Under-17 Team. "The guys skated hard and our goaltending was sharp."

Tyler Motte (St. Clair, Mich.) notched the first goal for Team USA at 9:23 of the opening frame. J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) and Hudson Fasching (Burnsville, Minn.) collected assists on the goal. The U.S. outshot Germany 17-6 in the period and held a 1-0 lead at the first intermission.

Team USA netted three consecutive goals in a span of 75 seconds in the second stanza. Kevin Labanc (Staten Island, N.Y.) tallied the first of three goals at 7:03. Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Anthony Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass.) registered assists. Anthony Louis (Winfield, Ill.) notched the next goal at 7:37, with Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) and Connor Chatham (Belleville, Ill.) setting up the play. Louis connected with Kelleher at 8:18 and John Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.) at 14:15, giving the U.S. a 5-0 lead at the end of the second period.

Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis.) tallied a goal just 55 seconds into the third period. Labanc and Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor, Mich.) recorded assists. Allen then found the back of the net at 6:26 to give Team USA a 7-0 lead. Kelleher and Butcher received helpers on the goal. Labanc and Copp helped set up Allen's second goal, a power-play marker, at 13:25.

Frye stopped all eight shots he faced in the period to close out the game and earn the shutout victory. Frye made 22 saves in the win for the U.S., while Kevin Reich turned aside 44 shots in the loss for Germany.

The U.S. National Under-17 Team concludes tournament play against Slovakia on Saturday (Feb. 11) at 11 a.m. EST. The game will be held at the Piestany Ice Arena. Team USA's complete schedule can be found below.

NOTES: The U.S. outshot Germany, 52-22 ... The U.S. finished 1-for-8 on the power play, while Germany went 0-for-6 with the man advantage ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... The 2012 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament features teams from Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States ... Team USA is the defending champion in this event, having claimed the tournament title in 2011 ... Follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with #2012VLAD ... For additional coverage, visit USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Facebook page ... The U.S. National Under-18 Team is also competing internationally this week at the 2012 Five Nations Tournament in Pori, Finland ... The U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams train with The Hockey IntelliGym, a revolutionary new software program released on October 1, 2010 that trains hockey sense. To learn more, visit USAHockeyIntelliGym.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

GER 0 - 0 - 0 - 0
USA 1 - 4 - 3 - 8

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Motte (Compher, Fasching), 9:23. Penalties: USA, Louis (cross-checking), 2:10; GER, Draisaitl (slashing), 5:18; GER, Stephan (holding), 11:54; GER, Draisaitl (high-sticking), 19:24.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, USA, Labanc (Allen, Florentino), 7:03; 3, USA, Louis (Kelleher, Chatham), 7:37; 4, USA, Kelleher (Louis, Butcher), 8:18; 5, USA, Hayden (Louis, Cook), 14:15. Penalties: USA, Santini (charging), 3:55; GER, Zientek (misconduct), 9:21; GER, Zientek (checking-from-behind), 9:21; GER, Ziegler (delay-of-game), 10:59; USA, Ausmus (misconduct), 14:54; USA, Ausmus (check-to-head), 14:54; GER, Laub (hooking), 18:02; GER, Palausch (roughing), 18:36; USA, Motte (roughing), 18:36; USA, Motte (roughing), 18:36.

Third Period - Scoring: 6, USA, Butcher (Labanc, Copp), 0:55; 7, USA, Allen (Kelleher, Butcher), 6:26; 8, USA, Allen (Labanc, Copp), 13:25, (pp). Penalties: GER, Draisaitl (hooking), 3:16; GER, Quinlan (interference), 12:44; USA, Motte (cross-checking), 19:29; USA, McCarron (slashing), 19:55.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
GER 6 8 8 22
USA 17 23 12 52

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
GER, Reich, 59:55 17/16 23/19 12/9 52/44
USA, Frye, 60:00 6/6 8/8 8/8 22/22

Power Play: GER 0-6; USA 1-8
Penalties: GER 10-28; USA 8-24

Team USA 2012 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament Schedule
Feb. 9-11, 2012 • Piestany, Slovakia

Date Opponent Location
Time (ET)/Result

Thurs., Feb. 9 Switzerland Piestany W, 6-1
Fri., Feb. 10 Germany Piestany W, 8-0
Sat., Feb. 11 Slovakia Piestany 11 a.m.

U.S. National Under-18 Team Defeats the Czech Republic, 5-2,
in 2012 Five Nations Tournament Opener

Barber Nets Hat Trick in Team USA Victory

RAUMA, Finland - Riley Barber (Livonia, Mich.) netted three goals, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team defeated the Czech Republic, 5-2, in the 2012 Five Nations Tournament opener here this evening at Rauma Arena.

"The guys came out strong and earned this victory," said Danton Cole, head coach of the U.S. National Under-18 Team. "We have to come out with the same hard-working attitude tomorrow against a talented Swedish team."

Team USA scored first at 6:47 of the opening period when Barber deposited the puck into the net for his first goal of the game. Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.) and Jacob Trouba (Rochester, Mich.) earned assists on the play. Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.) then converted the only power-play opportunity of the frame at 9:18 to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead. Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn.) and Seth Jones (Plano, Texas) collected assists on the score. Connor Carrick (Orland Park, Ill.) tallied the final goal of the period at 12:08 off a Brendan Silk (Wakefield, Mass.) pass, giving Team USA a 3-0 lead at the first intermission.

Carrick set-up Barber for his second goal of the game at 2:55 of the middle frame. The Czech Republic notched a power-play marker at 10:19, but the U.S. held a 4-1 advantage after two periods of action.

Barber completed the hat trick at 3:02 of the third period. Skjei and Jones both recorded their second assists of the game on the goal. The Czech Republic scored a power-play goal at 16:36, but the U.S. skated away with a 5-2 victory. Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) stopped 13 shots for Team USA in the win, while Marek Langhamer turned aside 43 shots for the Czech Republic in the loss.

The U.S. National Under-18 Team continues tournament play against Sweden on Friday (Feb. 10) at 12:30 p.m. EST. The game will be held at Panelia Arena. A complete Team USA schedule is below.

NOTES: Connor Carrick was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Team USA outshot the Czech Republic, 48-15 ... The U.S. finished 2-for-6 on the power play, while the Czech Republic went 2-for-4 with the man advantage ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... The 2012 Five Nations Tournament features teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States ... The U.S. has claimed the tournament title the last four years (2008-11) ... Follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with #5NATIONS ... For additional coverage, visit USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Facebook page ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team is also competing internationally this week at the 2012 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia ... The U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams train with The Hockey IntelliGym, a revolutionary new software program released on October 1, 2010 that trains hockey sense. To learn more, visit USAHockeyIntelliGym.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

CZE 0 - 1 - 1 - 2
USA 3 - 1 - 1 - 5

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Barber (Shore, Trouba), 6:47; 2, USA, Kerdiles (Skjei, Jones), 9:18, (pp); 3, USA, Carrick (Silk), 12:08. Penalties: CZE, Kostalek (hooking), 8:55.

Second Period - Scoring: 4, Barber (Carrick), 2:55; 5, CZE, Kokes (Zdrahal), 10:19, (pp). Penalties: CZE, Matejcek (hooking), 4:00; USA, Kerdiles (high-sticking), 6:10; USA, Kerdiles (hooking), 10:01; CZE, Prokop (hooking), 11:59; CZE, Bench (too-many-men), 16:03.

Third Period - Scoring: 6, USA, Barber (Skjei, Jones), 3:02, (pp); 7, CZE, Simon (Slovacek, Langhamer), 16:36, (pp). Penalties: CZE, Kubalik (checking-to-head), 1:46; CZE, Kubalik (misconduct), 1:46; CZE, Langhamer (slashing), 12:35; USA, Matteau (interference), 15:48; USA, Koules (cross-checking), 18:57.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
CZE 9 4 2 15
USA 11 18 19 48

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
CZE, Langhamer, 60:00 11/8 18/17 19/18 48/43
USA, Olson, 60:00 9/9 4/3 2/1 15/13

Power Play: CZE 2-4; USA 2-6
Penalties: CZE 7-22; USA 4-8

Team USA 2012 Five Nations Tournament Schedule
Feb. 9-12, 2012 • Pori, Finland

Date Opponent Location
Time (ET)/Result

Thurs., Feb. 9 Czech Republic Rauma W, 5-2
Fri., Feb. 10 Sweden Panelia 12:30 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 11 Finland Pori 10:30 a.m.
Sun., Feb. 12 Russia Pori 10:30 a.m.

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The Grammy Awards air Sunday night on CBS.

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Commissioner Cohon and CFL commit to future.

Fellow nominees heap praise towards Buono.

Tony Proudfoot's presence lives on.

Riders add trio of import tailbacks.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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Social gaming company Zynga is teaming up with toy maker Hasbro to create a "wide range of toys and gaming experiences" based on Zynga properties and brands. The first products are expected to hit the market this fall. So be on the lookout for toys based on CityVille, FarmVille and so on.

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Word World is on Jimmy's must watch list every day.

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Here's something you never thought you'd need: a Louis Vuitton condom. The condoms are emblazoned with the famous LV logo and come wrapped in plastic that's also covered with LVs.

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Today in Elvis History

1943 - Ral Donner was born. His first hit was a cover of Elvis Presley's "The Girl of My Best Friend" and he narrated the documentary "This Is Elvis."

1964 - Elvis Presley sent a telegram of congratulations to the Beatles after their successful first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

1968 - Elvis Presley's soundtrack "Clambake" hit #40 in the U.S.

1976 - Elvis Presley was made a captain in the Memphis Police Reserve.

2004 - The DVD "Frank Sinatra Show - Welcome Home Elvis" was released.

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It's hard to imagine what led Pascal Prokop to add this one-of-a-kind feature to his 1990 Volvo station wagon, but maybe it had something to do with keeping warm. Prokop installed a wood-burning stove. He built and installed the wood-fired stove himself in the passenger seat. Images.

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Today in Beatles History:

1968 - The Beatles turned all of their business affairs over to the newly formed Apple record company.

1968 - The Beatles closed their American fan club, Beatles U.S.A.

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Bridesmaids has become the most popular video-on-demand movie ever, with 4.8 million rentals in four months.

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Today in Sports History:

1920 - Major league baseball representatives outlawed pitches that involved tampering with the ball.

1946 - Jackie Robinson and Rachel Isum were married.

1961 - The American Football League's Los Angeles franchise was transferred to San Diego.

1971 - Bill White (New York Yankees) became the first black baseball announcer.

1962 - Jim Beatty became the first American to break the four minute barrier for the indoor mile.

1992 - Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of raping Desiree Washington, Miss Black American contestant.

2003 - Brett Hull (Detroit Red Wings) became the 6th player in NHL history to score at least 700 career goals.

2005 - The NHL and the players' association broke off talks after two days. The previous day commissioner Gary Bettman had said that a deal would need to be ready by the weekend to save the season.

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IN THEATERS - Journey 2: The Mysterious Island; Safe House; Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D; The Vow.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 10:30am EST

EJHL South -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 1:15pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres 7:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 9:30am EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 12:15pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins 7:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!