Your savory breakfast links:
- Just how much does Alex Ovechkin‘s defensive prowess – or lack thereof – matter for the Caps? The Two Dudes hash it out. [Rink]
- Peerless takes a look back at some of the Caps’ deadline deals over the years – and how those moves may not make much of a difference in the long run. [Rink]
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s loss from us, Vogs, Monumental video (Oates, Holtby, Backstrom, Brouwer, Brown), NHL.com, AP, Peerless, RMNB, Boston Globe, NESN, ESPN Boston, and Stanley Cup of Chowder.
- Scary stuff after the game, as the protective netting at TD Garden fell into the stands, sending two people to the hospital. Yikes. [NESN]
- Your Capitals Minute for today. [Capitals Voice]
- Checking in with the new guys:
- Dustin Penner gives the Caps another big body in front of the net and a wealth of Cup-winning experience. [WaPo, CSNW]
- Meanwhile Jaroslav Halak is just looking to help the team he once bounced from the playoffs, get to the playoffs in the first place. [CSNW]
- Halak may have upgraded the Caps’ goalie tandem, but he’s certainly not going to do much to mask the team’s many issues in the defensive zone. [NBC4]
- …which is why he’s probably not the best guy to pick up in your fantasy hockey league. Just FYI. [NHL.com]
- Peter Bondra knows fellow Slovakian Halak pretty well, and weighs in on the trade for the Caps. [CSNW (video)]
- Now that former dweller-of-nightmares Jaroslav Halak is a Cap, who would make up the “All-Halak” team for the District’s other teams? [WaPo]
- News and notes from pre-game yesterday:
- In general. [Monumental video (Oates, Halak, Rinkside Update/Brown)]
- Big news out of Russia, as the Evgeny Kuznetsov saga continues – his KHL contract has been terminated, and he’s free to come over to DC. [CBS Sports, RMNB]
- The Caps recalled newly-acquired forward Chris Brown to sub in for oft-injured forward Brooks Laich, and defensemen Cameron Schilling to take John Erskine’s place. [Caps (Brown, Schilling), Patriot-News]
- George McPhee talked with the media about his new-look Caps and how most of the shots on the Caps’ net come from the perimeter so it’s okay. Wait…….what? [RMNB]
- Tomorrow night doesn’t just mark the return of recently-traded Martin Erat; it’s also a return for Mike Ribeiro, who is still adjusting to life in the desert. [WashTimes]
- Trades made, players moved – Deadline Day 2014 is in the books:
- Our own JP chatted with Chad Dukes and LaVar Arrington about the Caps’ deadline moves. [Rink]
- Considering he’s the guy making the deals, it’s not surprising that McPhee is happy after the deadline. Every deadline. Guys, he really likes his team. [WaPo]
- GMGM talks about the talks that went into this year’s deadline deals. [CSNW]
- So what did the Caps’ moves mean for the team, their playoff push, and the future of their GM? [WNST, WashTimes]
- Wrapping up the day of trades around the League, and the ones that didn’t happen. [ESPN ($), Puck Daddy, CBC, Grantland (DGB)]
- For the fans, trades are just names on a roster; for the players, picking up and moving to a new team can be difficult. [BHS]
- It was the year of the goaltender, with Jaroslav Halak just one of many goalies finding a new home at the deadline. [RDS]
- Taking a look at some lowkey trades that could hold big value for their teams… [ESPN ($)]
- …but a reminder, while everyone’s obsessed with the “value player” in a salary cap world, talent still trumps all. [BHS]
- You always hear about players requesting trades; Down Goes Brown reveals the top-secret paperwork needed to complete this procedure. [Grantland]
- The Caps’ moves didn’t just add to (and subtract from) their lineup; they also added some new bodies to the Hershey bench for a playoff push in Chocolatetown. [THW]
- A few leftover thoughts on Wednesday’s loss in Philly. [WaPo, WNST]
- Vincent Lecavalier talks about his fight with Erskine, noting “it was instinctive”. Well, yeah, it’s Philly. Also instinctive? Sucker punches and a helping chokehold from a teammate. [CSNPhilly]
- Fighting is considered by many to be a crucial part of hockey – but in the face of player safety, should it still be a part of the NHL? [DSP]
- Fun fact: Tom Wilson takes a lot of penalties. No, but…like, a lot a lot. [RMNB]
- Chatting with the man who keeps the Verizon Center ice looking… well, if not great, at least as good as a Zamboni can make it. [NBC4]
- Finally, happy 50th birthday to Mike Eagles and happy 53rd to Bryan Erickson.