Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on yesterday's big win from us (with quotes, and look for Clyde's Shots later this morning), Monumental video (Oates, Ovechkin, players), Vogs, Capitals Voice, NHL.com, AP, SportsXchange, CSNW (Joe B., gamer, blog), WaPo, WashTimes (gamer, blog), SBN, DCEx, Frankovic, Peerless, DSP (and again), Sick Unbelievable, Caps Outsider, Caps Across the Pond and RMNB, and with the view from off the Turnpike, Fire & Ice, NJ.com, and our SB Nation pals over at In Lou We Trust.
  • It was a good team effort, but let's be honest - this game and it's 5-1 result all came down to one stellar (and nostalgic) performance by Alex Ovechkin as he nets his first hat trick of the year. [Caps OT (and again), Sick Unbelievable, Alex Ovetjkin, Caps Basketball, RMNB (and again), Puck Daddy]
  • Speaking of firsts, Eric Fehr chipped in with the team's first shorthanded goal of the season (and his first career shortie) just days after the Devils burned the Caps for their first SHG-against. [Caps Basketball]
  • Room for one more first? Braden Holtby's denial of Steve Bernier's penalty shot attempt was a huge moment in the game - and his first career stop (albeit in just two tries). [WaPo, Wash Times, NJ.com]
• There's never been any question that as Ovechkin goes, so go the Caps. Now that the captain has seemingly found his stride, he needs to keep it up for his team. [Wash Times]
• George McPhee and Adam Oates took some time to chat about the future and seem to have a plan in place... we hope. [DCEx]
• If you ask Lou Lamoriello - a guy who knows both McPhee and Oates pretty well - he'll tell you that the Caps are on the right track. Again... we hope. [CSNW]
• Bruce Garrioch once again bringing some interesting Caps-related rumors that no one else seems to have. So... grain of salt and all that. [Sun]
• Talkin' realignment and what could be a drastically different NHL landscape next year. I don't know, "conference rival Columbus Blue Jackets" sounds a little weird. [CBC (with video), Puck Daddy, WaPo, Wash Times]
• Congratulations to Philipp Grubauer on his first official shutout (hey, another first!) last night as the Hershey Bears downed the Adirondack Phantoms 3-0. [PennLive (with video), LDN, SHOE, Caps]
• Finally, happy 55th birthday to Tim Coulis and happy 27th birthday to Wojtek Wolski.