Your savory breakfast links:
- The final roster is finalized, with Tom Poti officially to LTIR and John Erskine to non-roster IR… [CI (Carrera), CW (Whyno), SBN DC (Prada)]
- …which can only mean it’s time to play Fun With Lines™:
- Nicklas Backstrom returns to first-line center. [CW (Whyno)]
- Mike Knuble to first-line right wing. [SB Nation DC (Vingan), CI (Carrera), Examiner (Hoffman)]
- Attempting to read the Marcus Johansson tea leaves: #needsmorethunderhoney. [CW (Whyno, and again), DCEx (McNally), CI (Carrera), CSNW (Gormley)]
- And some defense pair shuffles. Mike Green with Roman Hamrlik? Yes please. [CSNW (Gormley)]
- In case you missed any of that, here’s the Kettler Report, featuring a non-credentialed correspondent crashing Backstrom’s media scrum. [Caps365 (video)]
- GM George McPhee dishes on his decision process vis a vis the continuing employment of Bruce Boudreau. [WashTimes (Whyno)]
- But honestly, it was probably just so we could see more Hadeed commercials. [RMNB, DC Sports Bog]
- Six years ago, Jeff Halpern assumed the Caps’ captaincy and now the circle comes complete… [WashTimes (Daly)]
- … once a captain, always a captain. Looks like Halpy has been tasked with tending the team’s off-ice activities. [DCEx (Yeas & Nays)]
- Related: Once a Динамо, always a Динамо. Alex Ovechkin borrowed a couple hours from family obligations in Russia to watch his Dynamo Moscow team defeat SKA St. Petersburg 2-1. [Alex Ovetjkin]
- Mike Green, Mike Knuble, Karl Alzner, and Troy Brouwer on tap. It’s not what you think. [On Tap Online, On Tap Magazine, and flip through to pages 26-27. The ADORBS/60 is off the charts.]
- Roman Hamrlik isn’t getting any younger. But neither is he getting much older. [KoL]
- There’s a new GreenLife52 narrative, says NBC’s Eddie Olczyk. [DCEx (McNally)]
- Crystal ballin’ the Caps in goal. [Peerless (Vokoun, Neuvirth)]
- Life in “the vault,” with Jay Beagle. [WashTimes (Whyno)]
- BREAKING: Mathieu Perreault is not getting his hair cut. So stop pestering him already. [CW (Whyno)]
- Asked and answered at the Caps’ annual Six Flag soirée. [Blonde Girls’ Guide]
- Predictions, prognostications, and previews:
- Oh, grow up. [WaPo (Carrera) (with more from The Post here, here and here)]
- Apparently, it’s all about the winning. Who knew? [Craig Laughlin, via The Sports Junkies (audio)]
- We’ve seen this movie before. [DCEx (Loverro)]
- Time to walk the talk. [Box Seats (El-Alaily)]
- New faces, new narrative? [DSP (Fox)]
- Caps go all in. That’s a awf’ly big pile of chips on the table. [Detroit News (Kulfan)]
- Barkeep, I’ll have the regular, with a boilerplater on the side. [Sun Media (Sportak)]
- It’s our year, thankyouverymuch. Give or take. [StC]
- Predictions. [Backhand Shelf, Puck Daddy, RDS.ca (link in French), Jeremy Roenick (Yahoo! Radio), Hockey Writers, Frankovic, Peerless, Yahoo! (McCaig), PHT, NHL.com (video), We Love DC]
- Finally, happy 21st birthday to Marcus Johansson. Here’s hoping your birthday gifts include a stylin’ red sweater to wear on Saturday around 7pm.
