Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's loss from us, Monumental video (Oates, players), Vogs, NHL.com, Capitals Voice, CSNW (Joe B., AP gamer), WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes (gamer, blog), Peerless, DSP, Caps Outsider, RtR and RMNB.
  • In which NBC softens its stance on Alex Ovechkin. [PHT]
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday's morning skate and pre-game goings-on:
  • Intensity. Braden Holtby sez the Caps need some. [WaPo]
    
  • As far as we know there is no "ease" setting on Brooks Laich's control panels. [WashTimes, CSNW, WaPo, Dump 'n' Chase, Capitals Voice (audio)]
  • Dmitry Orlov is happy to be back as well. [WashTimes, WaPo]
  • The Captain is working on his game. [WaPo]
    
    • That is, when he isn't busy being the A-Rod of the NHL. Ugh. [WashTimes]
• The Caps, winning, and faceoff percentages. [Caps Outsider]
• The trade deadline silly season is upon us. Look on these prices, ye Managers General, and despair. [Globe and Mail]
• Introducing "Don't Tell Me The Score" - a nifty new non-spoilerized way to watch hockey highlights. [Backhand Shelf]
• Over in Chelyabinsk, Evgeny Kuznetsov found a few spare moments to appear in a popular teevee show - as himself. [SovSport, 1obl.ru (video) (links in Russian)]
• Mmm... chocolate. [Caps Outsider]
• Finally, Dennis Wideman hits the big 3-0 today.
• Actually, one more: We learned yesterday that Caps/Nats beat writer and Friend o' the Rink Brian McNally will need to change employers soon as the Washington Examiner announced they will be closing down their deadtree operations and ceasing reporting on the DMV. Brian will remain on the beat 'til June (sigh), so we will still have time to buy him a beer link to his excellent writing for a few more months.