Your savory breakfast links:
- As we await Thursday’s puck drop, there’s a ton of content dropping here on the Rink, so be sure to check back often. Why, just yesterday we introduced you to Nick Schultz and checked in on Nick Backstrom‘s playoff production trends. And there’s even more coming today.
- Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday out at Kettler:
- In general. [Monumental video (MacLellan, Trotz, Ovechkin, Holtby, Beagle, Chimera, Carlson, Alzner, Rinkside Update/Orpik), NVC]
- “Entitled to Nothing.” The Caps players received fresh new concert-style t-shirts with this year’s playoffs theme, and new “XVI” buckets, with the 16 representing the year/number of teams in the playoffs/number of wins to the Cup… [@washcaps, WaPo, PHT, theScore, CSNMA, ESPN]
- … and these are not available for sale to the general public. So don’t ask. [@ShopKettlerCaps]
- All hands on deck – Jay Beagle participated fully in practice and the Caps appear to be 100% game-ready heading in to Thursday’s tilt. [WashTimes, WaPo, ESPN]
- Coach Trotz is super excited about being back in the playoffs. You don’t even need to ask him – he’ll tell you. [WaPo]
- Coach also debuted his presumable playoff lines and d-pairings. Mike Richards got a promotion and will play on the third line. [CSNMA, RMNB]
- Speaking of Richards, sure he remembers Philadelphia, but that was four years and two Cups ago. [philly.com]
- Free Michael Latta. [FiCP]
- Protect this house. “This house”, of course, being Braden Holtby. [CSNMA]
- Justin Williams appreciates all the attention, but he really just wants to be a cog in the machine… [NHL.com]
- … but he’s not just a cog, he’s Mr. Game Seven. [NYT]
- Today in “The Caps Have Had It Rough In The Playoffs”:
- “On the one hand, the Caps have to be No. 1—they just won the Presidents’ Trophy by double-digit points, posting one of the best regular seasons of the cap era. They’ve got home ice through the playoffs. Their goalie is going to win the Vezina, and their best forward won the Rocket Richard. They’re even rested and reasonably healthy. So sure, of course they’re the league’s top team heading into the postseason.Then again, the fine print on this section has never said “top team.” It says “best shot at winning the Stanley Cup.”” [Vice]
- Say, remember that time the Caps lost after being up 3-1? And that other time? And when they got swept? Yeah, me neither. [WashTimes]
- Head games. [Sun Media]
- “… seed of doubt.” Thanks, Milbury! [NHL.com]
- Previews:
- Rink on the Radio – Breaking down Caps/Flyers with John Walton. [Rink]
- All 16 teams, ranked by forwards. [ESPN $]
- All 16 teams, ranked by defensemen. [ESPN $]
- All 16 teams, ranked by goaltenders. [Fansided (and again)]
- Could the Flyera have an edge… in net? [NHL.com]
- Hmm. Holtby is good, but let’s leave the “shaky goalie” comments unsaid, k? [NatPo]
- Caps are deeper. [S&S]
- Flyers at 5-on-5. [RMNB]
- Point: The player with the most pressure on him is … Alex Ovechkin. [NHL.com]
- Counterpoint: Nah. Caps got deep depth now, thanks to Brian MacLellan. [TSN]
- Predictions:
- “Caps-Ducks. I’m feeling it. Just don’t remind me about that call of a Nationals-Red Sox World Series I made last April.” [Buffalo News (Harrington)]
- All your Eastern Conference matchups predicted… except the important one. [Peerless]
- Caps in six. [Puck Daddy]
- Caps in five, Caps in seven, and one lonely vote for the other guys. Darn you, Coiner. [RMNB]
- Caps in six. [philly.com]
- Caps for everybody, and everybody for the Caps. [USA Today]
- Upsets here, get yer upsets here. [WaPo]
- #DadStrength and a maturing hockey team. [Friends in Cold Places]
- Buncha magpies hanging out on the Caps team group chat. What do they talk about all day, anyway? [WaPo]
- Finally, happy 53rd birthday to Jim McGeough, happy 42nd birthday to Sergei Gonchar, happy 29th birthday to Ryan Stoa, and Connor Carrick turns 22 today.