Your savory breakfast links:
- Was it actually warm in D.C. yesterday, or was that just residual heat emanating from the hot takes surrounding the Caps captain’s belief in his team? [Puck Daddy, THN, CSNW (video), ESPN, RMNB]
- But wait! Alex Ovechkin isn’t the only Russian Cap who has the audacity to have confidence in his teammates. Get to ridiculing Evgeny Kuznetsov, mainstream media! [The Score, PHT, RMNB]
- Notes from an off-day:
- In general. [Monumental video (Trotz)]
- Nate Schmidt has been recalled from Hershey. [WaPo, CSNW, RMNB]
- Another slow start might lead to a fast finish to the season for the Caps. [WaPo, PuckBuddys]
- The Caps can build on the way the ended Game Six, though they may want to up the effort before they find themselves down three goals. [WaPo]
- O Captains! Our captains! [NY Post]
- Remember that whole “top-rated power play” thing? Good times, good times. [WaPo]
- Looking ahead to Game Seven because of course Game Seven. [NHL.com (and again), Grantland, Rink]
- Huge key to Game Seven: each team’s forecheck. [NHL.com]
- And how about seven match-ups to watch, for good measure. [NHL.com]
- History is history… [WaPo, DC Sports Bog, CSNW, PHT]
- … and the Rangers are trying to make some. [NYDN]
- The Caps are “excited” for Game Seven, which is not nearly as awesome as being bored with nothing to do on Wednesday night would’ve been. [CSNW]
- Is there a reason there are two days off before Game Seven instead of the usual one? You Bette! [NY Post, SI]
- Chris Kreider is into bestiality. Or something. Dunno, just skimmed the title. [Blue Seats Blog]
- Legacies hang in the balance. Legacies! [NYPost]
- Mr. Tony is polishing up his c-word and getting it ready for action. [WaPo]
- Leftovers from Game Six:
- What worked and what didn’t. [Rink]
- Postgame notebook. [Dump ‘n Chase]
- Verizon Center was as hot as those Ovechkin takes. [SNYRangers]
- And more. [Ranger Rants, BSB]
- Apparently the NHLPA is concerned about “the lack of goal-scoring” (presumably because goals put butts in seats and get players paid). [Puck Daddy, PHT]
- Jakub Vrana and Madison Bowey enter the Hockey’s Future Top Prospects countdown in the 21-30 dectet. [HF]
- Speaking of Vrana, fewer than 1,000 people attended Sunday night’s basically-neutral-site game. [Patriot-News and more]
- The Bears, by the way, are now tied 2-2 in their second-round series with Hartford. [Patriot-News]
- D.C. Sports Synergy, starring Bryce Harper. [DC Sports Bog]
- Finally, happy 56th birthday to former Cap (and Miracle-on-Icer) Dave Christian.