Your savory breakfast links:
- As the Caps skated to a 1-0 loss against the Islanders on Tuesday, there was really only one moment that mattered – the one that made it 1-0. Rob breaks it down. [Rink]
- Little-known facts about the Caps, from Marcus Johansson‘s discipline to Alex Ovechkin‘s climb up the franchise record ladder and more. [Rink]
- Previews of tonight’s flight with the Jets from Vogs, NHL.com, AP, and be sure to check out our SB Nation pals over at Arctic Ice Hockey for the other side of tonight’s matchup.
- Your Capitals Minute for today. [Capitals Voice]
- Opening ceremonies in Sochi are just a day away…
- Justin Bourne previews the home team in the upcoming tournament. [BHS]
- A couple of guys who are usually in the NHL MVP conversation together are now topping the odds to take the honor in Sochi. [PHT]
- Just because the regular season stops, it doesn’t mean the fantasy hockey fun has to stop as well – and there’s value to be had on the blue line. RAHJC! [NHL.com]
- Alex Ovechkin is facing a serious amount of pressure, not only as one of the stars and leaders of the home team but one of the faces of the Olympics in general… [CSNW]
- …but could that pressure ultimately help him? [CSNW]
- Someone is certainly crotchety and opinionated about the NHL’s participation in the Olympics. [Chicago Tribune]
- Team USA head coach Dan Bylsma is ready to take on the challenge of helping the Americans meet some lofty expectations. [CSNW]
- There will be a familiar name among the jerseys for the USA women’s team, as former Cap Bobby Carpenter‘s daughter Alex is headed to Sochi hoping for gold. [Chicago Tribune]
- A look back at the 10 best NHL Olympians of all time (and a few runners-up with Caps’ ties). [Grantland (DGB)]
- For the many players and coaches not attending this year’s Olympics, the break offers a chance for a bit of relaxation. Or in Adam Oates‘s case, a chance to subject his dad to video of Caps’ games. [NHL.com]
- The Caps reassigned defenseman Tyson Strachan to Hershey yesterday, leaving them with just five able-bodied blueliners… so stay tuned. [Caps, Patriot-News]
- Checking in with Mike Vogel and John Walton in this week’s Capitals Report. [Monumental]
- With two games left before the break, the Caps just look tired. Wait until March, fellas. [CSNW, CBS DC]
- Not talking to each other on the ice is often how turnovers and mental mistakes happen – and it’s something the Caps know they need to work on. [CSNW]
- Close games have been Cap-killers this season. So have low-scoring ones. So close, low-scoring games… yeah. [WaPo, WashTimes]
- Also, too many penalties. [Rink, WaPo]
- Tuesday night marked the third-straight start in net for Michal Neuvirth, and he’s earned every minute of his run. [Caps Outsider]
- As the trade deadline (and the unofficial pre-Olympic Break deadline) draw closer, are the Caps going to be buyers or sellers? [DSP]
- A few leftovers from Tuesday’s loss to the Islanders:
- Five thoughts. [WaPo]
- Be sure to check out all of Clyde’s awesome shots from the game. Because something good might as well have come out of it, right? [Rink]
- When faced with one of the League’s worst penalty-killing units – six times – the Caps’ power play basically beat itself. [NBC4]
- The most famous jersey-wearing pup in the whole DC area was in attendance to watch the Caps play like… well, dogs. Pretend it was an homage, Ovie the Bulldog. [WaPo]
- Almost nine decades ago, a different kind of hockey ruled the roost in DC – roller hockey. Click for the awesome pics, stay for the awesome District history. [Ghosts of DC]
- Hard not to love the idea of a Caps bar opening in DC. Because you wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same… [WaPo]
- Mike Knuble is the best. Mike Knuble + AHL hockey + Twitter + malfunctioning hot dog gun = phenomenal. [The Score]
- Finally, happy 59th birthday to Bob Sirois:
Clyde Caplan
(Photo by George Henschel)