Your savory breakfast links:
- Plenty of action in Sochi yesterday, as John Carlson and Team USA kicked off their tournament in style with a dominant 7-1 rout of Slovakia. [NHL.com, Canada.com, RMNB, CBS News]
- The team’s first goal of the game – and the Olympics – came courtesy of Carlson himself, who also added an assist. He just really seems to love wearing that USA crest, doesn’t he? [Caps OT, CSNW, NHL.com, AP, NJ.com (and again), Indiana Ice, WTHR]
- Relive the 7 goals in 70 seconds. [NBC Olympics]
- Things we learned from Team USA’s win over Slovakia… [ESPN, Puck Daddy, USoH]
- …and reasons to be excited about it. [NJ.com]
- Meanwhile, the home team also opened the tournament with a win… but that 5-2 victory didn’t come quite as easily against a surprisingly scrappy Slovenian team. [NHL.com, Puck Daddy, CBSSports, Canada.com, Sportsnet]
- And just as his Caps comrade got the first goal for USA, there was Alex Ovechkin doing what Alex Ovechkin does best, with a two-point game of his own. [Caps OT, CSNW, NBC Olympics, Sporting News, NESN.com, AP]
- Ovechkin readily admits that the team wasn’t at its best in their tournament debut, however, as an early lead almost slipped away. Twice. [Yahoo! (and again), Chel.kp, Sports.ru, NBC OlympicTalk]
- Breaking down the scoring chances from Russia vs. Slovenia. Необычные статистика! [NHL Numbers]
- Your Day 3 schedule and open thread were up and kicking before you were. Spoiler alert: Martin Erat scored an actual goal! Into the opponent’s net! With a goalie in and everything! [NHL.com]
- Big day for both Carlson and Ovechkin. Next up for the two? A head-to-head battle tomorrow morning as the US faces Russia for the first time. [SI.com, CSNW]
- Now that all 12 teams have gotten their first Olympic action out of the way, we’ve learned a few things about all of them. [Sporting News]
- Keeping health conditions of the assorted NHLers in Sochi under wraps is like something out of a Cold War-era spy flick. [Philly.com, Puck Daddy]
- Talking the Caps, the Olympics, the farm team and more in this week’s Caps Hill podcast. [Capitals Hill]
- Checking out the trends for the Caps in the week leading up to the Olympic break. [Laich the Lamp]
- Believe it or not, the Caps could actually have Evgeny Kuznetsov play for them this season. What’s that, Evgeny? Another football to kick? Sure! [Fansided]
- Between the Olympic hockey excitement and the snow day that kept much of the area at home, a veritable army of Caps-themed snowmen cropped up around the District. [Fox DC]
- Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Can you feel the Orlov…e? [Capitals Hill]
- And if you’re searching for a perfect Valentine’s present for that special someone, this little Valentine’s Day poem should point you in the right direction. You procrastinator, you. [Capitals Outsider]
- Finally, candy hearts and flowers and birthday wishes to some Valentine’s babies, as Calle Johansson turns 47 and Viktor Kozlov turns 39.
Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images
