Your savory breakfast links:
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s Southeast Division-clinching win from us (with quotes, and look for Clyde’s pics later today), Capitals Voice, Monumental video (Oates, Ovechkin, Chimera, Perreault, Erskine, Volpatti, Hendricks), NHL.com, AP, SportsXchange, WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes (gamer, blog), CSNW (blog, Joe B, video), Frankovic, Peerless, DCEx, RMNB, DSP, Caps Outsider, Caps Across the Pond and from the True North, the Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg Sun (and again), Globe and Mail, and our SBN pals over at Arctic Ice Hockey.
- And that’s a wrap from the Southeast Division. Dear Florida, Tampa, Carolina and Winnipeg: u r 2 cool 2 be 4gotten. Love, the Caps. [Dump ‘n Chase, Puck Daddy, PHT]
- Matt Hendricks is a goal-scoring, body-checking, dancing fool. [Caps Basketball]
- John Erskine: Vezina candidate. [Puck Daddy, CBC]
- George McPhee: Awkward-excited-then-calm fist pump of the year candidate. [RMNB]
- In taking control of their destiny – and last night’s game – the Caps are showing that they’re all grown up. [WaPo (Wise)]
- Now that the Caps are officially in the postseason, what’s next? [CSNW, RMNB]
- Hey Ottawa: you’re welcome. [Slam! Sports]
- After a rough start to the season, doubt surrounded the Caps – from fans, from media, and the hockey world in general. But the Caps never doubted themselves. [WashTimes, CSNW]
- It may have come up a time or two in recent weeks, but it bears repeating that Alex Ovechkin has positioned himself nicely for a Hart Trophy nomination… [CSNW, Puck Daddy]
- …and hopefully confused PHWA members won’t rob him of what should be a historic vote to this year’s All-Star team. As a right wing. [THN]
- McPhee’s deadline day acquisition of Martin Erat may not have been the most popular one in CapsNation at the time, but it’s paying dividends for the team. [WashTimes]
- So how have the Caps climbed the ladder to Southeast supremacy? By taking it one game at a time. [NBCW]
- When the Bears kick off their postseason run this Friday against Providence, they’ll be leaning on yet another talented young goaltender – and a pro’s pro – in Philipp Grubauer. [PennLive]
- A very cool look at a day in the life of an NHL off-ice official – aka the keepers of the stats we overanalyze daily. [Raw Charge]
- Finally, happy 53rd birthday to Darren Veitch and happy 42nd to Ken Klee.