Your savory breakfast links:
- Previews of tonight’s season-opening tilt in Tampa Bay from Vogs, NHL.com, the Examiner, Yahoo!, CSNW (where you can chat live during the game), Hockey Shopped and Peerless, and be sure to check out the Tampa Tribune, the St. Petersburg Times and our SB Nation partner Raw Charge for more on tonight’s match-up.
- Notes and assorted whatnot from the final day of training camp:
- Tom Poti, consider yourself officially recalled. Simply amazing. [Caps, Yahoo!, CSNW, WaPo, Dump ‘n Chase, THW, Hockey Shopped]
- Checking in with all the guys before they head out on their first road trip of the season. [DSP]
- Mike Vogel brings you the Rinkside Update… despite Jason Chimera‘s valiant efforts to derail it. Wolski’s in for a long year. [Caps OT]
- More on the tweaked and much-ballyhooed power play… [Peerless, WaPo]
- …and more on Alex Ovechkin’s future as a penalty-killer. [Wash Times, WaPo]
- The fine folks of the Caps’ media staff have launched this year’s Media Guide, with all the Capital-y goodness you could ever want (including the joy that is the yearly parade of awkward roster pics). [Caps (PDF)]
- This year marks the 20th season for the Tampa Bay Lightning – so it’s only fitting that the year kicks off with a visit from the Caps and more specifically Roman Hamrlik, the first ever draft choice of the Bolts back in 1992. [TBT]
- Looking ahead to the 2013 season: previews, predictions, awards, wacky forecasts, lowering expectations and the Adam Oates Effect. [Dobber, WNST, ESPN, Homer McFanboy, BHS (including an injury update), Puck Daddy (and again), CBS Sports, FanPost (read this one, y’all)]
- Forget all the strife between the NHL and KHL, the lack of an agreement on Olympic participation in the CBA and Alexander Medvedev‘s rantings – the boss says Alex Ovechkin is going to Sochi, no matter what. [CSNW, Sportsnet, CapCentre]
- This season – and the Caps’ success – all hinges on Alex Ovechkin. (Does it ever not?) [WaPo]
- Matt Hendricks talks hockey, the Paralyzer and impressions with the fine folks at WMZQ. [98.7WMZQ]
- Now that the lockout’s over and a new CBA has been ratified, the owners, players and fans can all start to put the ugliness behind them… well, for the most part. [CSNW, Wash Times (and again), WaPo, Yahoo!]
- A bit more on that pesky “failure to report HRR” issue. Or non-issue. Whatever, can we all just stop saying “HRR” already? [Wash Times (and again)].
- Good news – the new CBA now includes strict ice condition regulations and will even allow players to file reports via a smartphone app. 700 groinal areas breathe a sigh of relief (and if that’s not an image for you…) WashTimes]
- As the season (finally) gets underway, there’s competition in net but it’s probably Braden Holtby‘s competition to lose. [Wash Times]
- And he’s just one of a handful of excellent young goaltenders the Caps are boasting these days, with the next generation just a step or two behind. [HF]
- Speaking of the next generation, this Filip Forsberg kid just might have something. [RMNB]
- Plenty of goodies out there about the upcoming AHL Outdoor Classic featuring our own Hershey Bears, as the rink goes up, the alumni get pumped and the players and families get their first look at hockey al fresco. [PennLive (here, here, here, here, here, here and here), SHOE]
- It’s been awhile since the NHL has been in action, so you’re forgiven if you’re hazy on some of the key points of this strange game we call “ha-kee”. You know, like who the captains of each team are or what that frozen rubber thingy is. [Blonde Girl’s Guide, Wash Times]
- Finally, happy 59th birthday to Don McLean, happy 47th birthday to Sylvain Cote… and welcome back, NHL. Cheers.