Your savory breakfast links:
- Previews of Game 2 from Vogs, NHL.com, the Rangers, NJ.com, Peerless and PuckBuddys, and be sure to check out Blueshirt Banter for the other side of this afternoon’s match-up.
- Heads-up: WMATA is doing track work on all four lines this weekend (…good plan) and that could make getting downtown a wee bit tricky. [NBCW]
- Caps’ notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday out at Kettler:
- In general. [Monumental video (Coaches’ Corner, Rinkside Update, Oates, Ward, Ribeiro, Brouwer, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Alzner, Fehr, Green), DSP]
- After making a name for himself in last year’s playoffs, Braden Holtby has picked up right where he left off. [WashTimes]
- Lotsa Oleksy – he had an eventful first playoff game, with a great saucer pass on the eventual game-winner, a face-first battle with the puck and a post-game hangout with some fans. [Monumental video, WaPo, Bog, NHL.com, AP, Grantland, KBOI2]
- Rangers‘ notes and assorted whatnot from their side of the rink:
- New York could be getting some healthy bodies back in the lineup (whether or not they’re in game shape yet)… [ESPN NY, WaPo, BSB, NHL.com, CBC, PHT, NY Post, Newsday (and again)]
- …because going down 0-2 in this series is simply not an option. [Newsday (and again)]
- New season, same Rangers. [Scotty Hockey]
- Henrik Lundqvist is kicking himself over that Jason Chimera goal. Forget it, Hank… it’s Chinatown. [NJ.com]
- Look, we get that Chimera has tormented New York in the postseason over the past few years, but shifting focus from Ovechkin to him would be craz-…actually, go for it, Rangers. [NY Rangers Blog]
- A few leftovers from Game 1:
- In general. [THW, BSB]
- With their victory in the series-opener, the transformation from last year’s Caps (or even early 2013 Caps) becomes even more clear. [NBCW]
- To the naked eye, Rick Nash might not have been that effective in Game 1. Apparently those eyes aren’t just naked, they’re lying… if you say so. [SNY Rangers Blog]
- It’s going to take more than positive thinking for the Rangers to take Game 2. True. So here’s hoping they come armed with only positive thoughts. [NY Post]
- Thanks for asking, Tortorella, but yes, the Verizon Center does have overhead cameras. And they saw what we saw: no goal (or at least no conclusive proof otherwise). [NYDN]
- Another thing Verizon Center has? Fans. Fans who hate John Tortorella. Fans who hate John Tortorella and make signs sharing that sentiment. [WaPo]
- Possession stats are great and all, but there will always be exceptions to the rules. [Peerless]
- Check out this neat new feature at the Post that lets you see every shot from every game throughout the Caps’ playoff run. [WaPo]
- Adam Oates has his Caps playing a system that is truly built to last – which is nice to hear after so much change in recent years. [WashTimes]
- Speaking of change, this year’s incarnation of the annual Caps-Rangers playoff series looks like it will be anything but dull. [SBN]
- Keys to the game for the Caps:
- Stay powerful (and patient) on the power play. [WaPo, NBCW, CSNW]
- Stay the course. [WaPo, WashTimes]
- Stay ahead. [WashTimes]
- Stay humble. [Caps Outsider]
- Give the puck to Alex Ovechkin. [WashTimes, CSNW]
- And for the Rangers:
- Down on the farm:
- As the Caps prepare for Game 2, the Bears are getting ready to go for the sweep over Providence… [Pennlive (with Mark French video),
- …and they’ll do so with the help of prospect (and nephew of former Cap Gary) Jaynen Rissling, who was signed to a tryout agreement yesterday. [Caps, PennLive]
- Meanwhile the Reading Royals got some double-overtime heroics in order to take a 1-0 series lead over Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Finals. [Caps Outsider]
- Rangers’ analyst and former player Ron Duguay is “not intimidated” by the Caps. Is it okay if we are intimidated by his hair? [Bog]
- Tell me I’m not the only one hoping James Lipton, apparent Rangers fan, has asked John Tortorella what his favorite curse word is. [NHL.com]
- There is truly nothing more glorious – or adorable – then these two little moppets giving in to pure hockey glee. [Puck Daddy, Mr. Irrelevant]
- Although Ovi’s relationship with his soon-to-be bride is pretty high on the adorable scale, as well. Is that the key to his turnaround? (…yeah, probably not. But it’s a nice story, nonetheless.) [Bog]
- Let your voice be heard, go vote for Eric Fehr‘s (first) overtime winner against the Bruins as TSN’s Play of the Year! [CapsOutsider]
- Go inside the mind of Tortorella. Sounds like we’ve got ourselves the makings of a potentially great horror flick… [Peerless]
- Some guy named Robert Griffin III is throwing his support behind the red-rocking Caps. [Monumental video]
- The Caps will take all the help they can get – even from up above. Here’s hoping the Chosen People make the Caps the Chosen Team. [CapsOutsider]
- Nothing wrong with a bit of trash-talking – but let’s try to remain civil. [Caps Across the Pond]
- If you were looking for a compilation of all the tired, hackneyed misconceptions and narratives about this Caps’ team (right down to a “South-Least” mention), well… you’re in luck. [THW]
- Finally, the more you give to the noble cause of making JP look like a shut-in (and also help some charity or something), the more the Caps win. No, really. Promise. [Beard-a-thon]