THURSDAY: Happy New Year! Jerrold M. Post will be at Politics and Prose to read from his latest book, The Mind of the Terrorist. Is there a more depressing way to start the new year than discussing the psychology of terrorism? Only in Washington. 7 p.m. Cultural historian Jane Rhodes will be at the Olsson’s in Penn Quarter to read from Framing the Black Panthers: The Spectacular Rise of a Black Power Icon. 7 p.m….

This weekend the Capitals decided not to add a great goalie to pull them up from the dregs of the standings. After losing seven of eight games, the Caps were in last place. This gave them the first chance to pick up Ilya Bryzgalov, a goalie placed on waivers because he didn’t enjoy playing backup on the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks. Two years ago, Bryzgalov posted one of the greatest playoff shutout streaks in…

Former Capitals coach Bruce “Butch” Cassidy (who famously wrote his plays on napkins, and then brought the napkins to practice) has just been fired by the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League after they lost six straight games. The firing from the junior team confirms the suspicions of many Caps fans who remembered the 2003-2004 season and though the coach might have been slightly less than qualified for the NHL. Cassidy joined the Capitals…

With one week left until the start of the regular season, the hockey world has been divided into two camps along the question of whether the Capitals will make the playoffs this year. The first camp consists of every Caps fan with a blog, up to and including team owner Ted Leonsis. All agree that the team can do it. The second camp contains every other fan and writer in the hockey universe, who agree…

Before last night the Florida Panthers had beaten the Capitals five straight times. In those five meetings, the Panthers were struggling to make the playoffs. Last night was Florida’s first game since their elimination from playoff contention, and their lack of motivation showed from the start. The Capitals, possibly by accident, capitalized on their lackadaisical opposition to claim a meaningless victory over their fellow non-competitors. Alexander Ovechkin scored his forty-fourth goal of the season on…

FRIDAY: >> RJD2 is not to be confused with the new R2D2 mailboxes unvelied this month. His turntable skills, however, have us wondering if he’s part robot. At the 9:30 Club, $20. >> Native sons The Walkmen, who we talked to last spring, bring their boozey, jangley rock, to the Rock & Roll Hotel tonight. Fans can look forward to hearing lots of new material that the band’s been road-testing this spring. If you liked…

Tonight the Capitals will face the decisive game of their season. After weeks of injury troubles and youthful inconsistencies, the team finds itself in position to drop from twelfth in the East down to fourteenth, all in one night. The Capitals, who finished near the bottom of the league last season and retooled over the summer to perform better this season, are in a position to slip behind the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins, who…

The Washington Redskins gave the Carolina Panthers all they could handle and earned Jason Campbell a win in his home debut yesterday. At the very least, the win will be remembered as one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise frustrating season. Washington gave a complete effort in beating a quality opponent; their offense, defense, and special teams contributed in significant ways. At most, the win gives supporters a renewed sense of optimism, allowing…

Down in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, there remain plenty of reminders that the Carolina Panthers haven’t quite taken over as the top team in the region. Even at a tremendous distance from DC, Redskins flags still wave from the houses on Virginia Dare Road and autographed photos of Skins luminaries such as Brian Mitchell and Art Monk are still prominently hung on the walls of local BBQ joints. Of course, the distance to…

This post was written by DCist contributor Jesse Rounds Last Wednesday night the Capitals visited the Panthers in Florida and played them close. Excellent touches in the offensive zone led to goals, however, defensive breakdowns and a lack of discipline hobbled the Caps in the end. Most of the first period was hockey the way it should be, fast and without much stoppage in play. Over the next two and a quarter periods the game…