Monday Caps Clips: Hurry Up and Wait

Your savory breakfast links:

• Catch up on all the Clips you missed over the weekend right here.
• With the match-up set and the schedule released, it’s time for preview-palooza:
  • The freaking Rangers again? The effing Caps again? In the immortal words of the Beach Boys, let’s get back together and do it again. [Ted’s Take, NHL.com (with much more in their series hub), CSNW, NBCW, Peerless, RMNB, NY Rangers Blog, Newsday]
  • Perhaps that’s why Game 1 won’t be until Thursday – the NHL apparently felt these two teams needed at least a little more time between playoff meetings. [Japers’ Rink (and check out the full playoff schedule at SB Nation)]
  • Looking ahead at the Caps’ first-round opponent from around the Beltway… [WaPo, WashTimes, NBCW, CSNW, Frankovic]
  • …the perspective on the Caps from the Big Apple… [Blueshirt Banter, Blueshirts United, Blue Seat Blogs, NJ.com]
  • …and a look at the series from some neutral eyes. Hopefully. [NHL.com (series hub), ESPN]
  • These two teams do have some recent history outside of the playoffs, and it’s downright feisty. [CSNW]
  • Step right up, Braden Holtby, there’s a warm seat waiting just for you (well, and 15 others). [Puck Daddy]
  • Second season = second life. [DSP]
  • Be sure to check back right here for Eastern Conference Quarterfinals coverage from us and from around SB Nation. [Japers’ Rink]
• You can point to any number of reasons for the Caps’ amazing run to the playoffs, but the biggest reason is an undeterred Adam Oates behind the bench. [WaPo]
• Let the naysayers ramble on about Southeast this and weak opponent that – this was one playoff berth the Caps truly had to earn. [OFB]
• The season may have been cut short, but that won’t stop the playoffs from being the greatest thrill ride you’ll ever go on. [Yahoo!]
• Alex Ovechkin winning the 2013 Richard Trophy isn’t much of a surprise considering the way he finished up the regular season – but it is if you look at how it began. Congrats, captain. [NHL.com, WaPo, WashTimes]
  • Relive all the Ovechkin-y goodness of the 2012-2013 season in mesmerizing video form. [YouTube (goals, season highlights h/t Natty Bumppo)]
• He’s not the only one who heated up at season’s end, as Mike Green has been making his own move to the top of the goal-scoring ranks over the last six weeks. [DCEx]
• So about that injury to Brooks Laich that didn’t require surgery… he reportedly had surgery recently to fix it. At least he has plenty of time to rest up, since Round 1 doesn’t start until roughly July. [WaPo, WashTimes, CSNW, PHT]
• Great ongoing coverage of the developing story that is Steven Oleksy, as he heads into his first NHL postseason. Go get ’em, Norris. [WashTimes (with snippets from the cutting room floor), The Sports Lair]
• Playoff time in Chocolatetown:
  • A Jon DiSalvatore overtime goal last night gave the Hershey Bears a commanding 2-0 series lead and a chance to sweep top-seeded Providence at home on Saturday. [LDNews, SHOE]
  • They don’t even get to overtime if it’s not for the heroics of Philipp Grubauer, who turned aside an amazing 54 of 58 shots to get the win. [PennLive (with video)]
  • Good news for the Bears: only nine times in AHL history has a team come back to win after being down 2-0… of course three of those nine comebacks were engineered by Providence. [PennLive]
  • The Plymouth Whalers may be done, but that doesn’t mean Tom Wilson is. [Caps Outsider (with more on the Caps’ minor leaguers and their playoffs)]
• A final farewell to the Southeast Division, which was certainly fun while it lasted. [NY Times]
• Now that the playoffs are finally here, it’s time to grow for a good cause. Gentlemen, stop your razors. [Caps Outsider]
• Finally, happy 57th birthday to Steve Clippingdale.