Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's shootout loss from us, Caps365 video (Hunter, Caps players, Noel, Jets players), Vogs, NHL.com, WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes (gamer, blog), CSNW (gamer, Beninati, Sorenson), 106.7 The Fan, SB Nation DC, Peerless, Frankovic, KOL, RMNB, DSP, OFB, RtR, Hockey Hourly, Sick Unbelievable, and clydeorama (pics).
  • In which Jeff Halpern goes for a visit to the Jets' bench. [RMNB]
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday's morning skate:
  • In general. [Caps365 video (Two-Man Advantage, Morning Skate), Capitals Voice (audio), PreCap (audio)]
  • Four words we hadn't expected to see together: Mike Knuble, healthy scratch. [Dump 'n' Chase, NHL.com, WaPo, WashTimes (and again), CSNW (and again (video), 106.7 The Fan]
  • Mike Green skated for the third day in a row and looks to be 'on schedule', however that is defined. [WashTimes]
  • Nick Backstrom's teammates understand his frustration. [WashTimes]
• Addressing shortcomings, forging an identity. [CapsOT]
• Along those lines, the injuries certainly aren't helping. [Hockey Primetime]
• And another look at Bruce vs. Dale [RMNB]
• Caption This! [Homer McFanboy]
• In a Michigan state of mind, Mike Knuble talks Frozen Four and a Winter classic in the Big House. [Be The Thunder, Wash Times]
• The Hershey Bears are gearing up to face the Syracuse Crunch and old friend Andrew Gordon tonight. [Patriot-News]
• Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov had a stellar game for Team Russia, with a hard-working assist and a beauty breakaway (through traffic) goal for a 2-0 victory over Finland. [FanShot (video), RMNB, Alex Ovetjkin]
• Finally, happy 35th birthday, Dwayne Hay.

Your savory breakfast links:

• Previews of tonight's joust with the Jets from Vogs, NHL.com, SB Nation DC, Peerless, VC Chillin, and CRtC, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Arctic Ice Hockey for more coverage from the other side of tonight's match-up.
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday out at Kettler:
  • Alex Ovechkin, Dennis Wideman, and Brooks Laich's left knee were granted a maintenance day. The right knee tried to suit up, but was sent back to the trainer's room. [WaPo, WashTimes, 106.7 The Fan]
  • The knee held up "actually really well." Laich chatted up the Sports Junkies... [106.7 The Fan (audio), WashTimes (partial transcript)]
  • ... and D-Wides checked in with WNST up in Baltimore. [WNST.net (audio)]
    
• Folks took note as Joel Ward had his strongest game in weeks on Tuesday ... [DCEx, WashTimes, CSNW]
• ... and as part of Hockey Day in Canada festivities, he talked about his Prince Edward Island roots. [CBC.ca]
• Busted beak and all, Dmitry Orlov is looking more veteran every day. [WashTimes]
• Mike Knuble is taking the long view on Nick Backstrom's return from concussion. [CSNW]
• Jeff Schultz is workin' his way back to you, babe. [Dump 'n' Chase]
• All those home wins? Give yourselves a hand, Verizon Center faithful. [KOL]
• Détente! Canadiens-Ovechkin relations have been normalized after AO met with and was absolved by the kid he "snowed" in April 2010. [Montreal Gazette, Alex Ovetjkin (and again, with Russian TV video of the charity event)]
• Fun with charts. Ovechkin, pre- and post-Dale Hunter. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
• Can't find ice time for your kid in metro DC? That's the Ovi Effect. [WaPo]
• Stanislav Galiev got some welcome good news from the the Caps' medical staff yesterday. [CSNW, Station Nation]
• Puck drop is 11:30am today for Evgeny Kuznetsov and Team Russia in frigid Helsinki. [RMNB]
• Finally, happy 52nd birthday to Neil Sheehy.

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's win from us, Caps365 video (Hunter, Caps players, Dineen, Panthers players), Vogs, Capitals Voice, NHL.com, WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes (gamer, article, blog), CSNW (gamer, blog), Puck Daddy (and again), PHT, SB Nation DC, Peerless, Frankovic, KOL, RMNB, DSP (plus pics), RtR, Examiner, Hockey Hourly, Homer McFanboy and clydeorama (pics), and for the view from the Florida side, On Frozen Pond and Litter Box Cats.
  • Seemingly miraculously, Brooks Laich skated in the morning and then played the game. [CSNW (and again)]
  • Nice cage, Dima. [Caps Outsider]
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday's morning skate:
  • In general. [Caps365 video (Two-Man Advantage, Morning Skate, Vokoun)]
  • Earlier in the day, Coach Hunter called last night a "playoff game." From now on, all games are "playoff games." [Caps365 video, WaPo, CSNW]
  • Laich stuff. [Caps365 video, WaPo, WashTimes]
• On the next couple of months. [Dump 'n Chase]
• Some thoughts on the upcoming trade deadline. [RtR, USA Today]
• A couple of young pivots step up. [Sick, Unbelievable]
• Sad link du jour: the Nicklas Backstrom Concussion Timeline. [WashTimes]
• A half-dozen things to know about Alex Ovechkin's new pad. [Yahoo!]
  
• Kevin Marshall brings some grit to the Bears... [Patriot-News, with notes from Tuesday's practice here]
• ... who will sport these, uh, sweet sweaters (and socks!) for warm-ups on Saturday. [@TheHersheyBears]
• Oh hai there, Evgeny Kuznetsov! Hope you packed your long underwear for Helsinki. [FanShot]
• Rock the binky. [RtR]
• Here's an awesome piece of Washington hockey history... and I do mean history. [Ghosts of DC]
• Finally, happy 45th birthday to Yvon Corriveau and happy 52nd to Hall-of-Famer Dino Ciccarelli (seriously, Bondra and Dino on back-to-back days?).

Your savory breakfast links:

• Previews of tonight's rather large game against the Kitties from Vogs, NHL.com, WaPo (and more), SB Nation DC, Peerless, RMNB and CRtC, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Litter Box Cats for more coverage from the other side of tonight's match-up.
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday out at Kettler:
  • In general. [Caps365 video (Hunter, Halpern, Aucoin, Schultz, Ovechkin), WaPo, WashTimes, 106.7 The Fan]
  • Readying for a Laich-less life. [Dump 'n Chase, NHL.com, WashTimes, WaPo]
  • Mike Green has gone three days without skating, which could indicate a setback in his recovery... or not. [WashTimes]
  • Dmitry Orlov is ok, though, so there's that little bit o' good news. [WashTimes]
• That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Of course, that which does kill you, kills you... [NHL.com, CSNW, Sick Unbelievable]
• ... and that which makes you stronger likely doesn't make you strong enough. [WaPo]
• A little secondary scoring would be nice. Oh, and so would a little primary scoring. [CSNW]
• Buy or sell: by the sell/buy-by deadline, the Caps will bid bye-bye and sell rather than buy? [We Love DC]
• Ruminatin' with a cold one. [Peerless]
• "It seemed like [the Bruins] knew every single thing that the Caps were going to do before the Caps knew what they were going to do." Alan May had his weekly chat with the Sports Reporters. [ESPN 980 (audio)]
• John Carlson and Karl Alzner give you a glimpse of what life is like for a couple of roomies on a roadie. [Caps365 (video)]
• The Verizon Center tops a list of NHL arenas in overall fan experience (but it sure would be nice to see what that experience is like in, say, late-May). [Stadium Journey]
• Ovi and a red dragon? Ovi and a red dragon. [Alex Ovetjkin]
• Time for the captain to captain... [Sick, Unbelievable]
• ... and for the fans to support the boys. [Capital Spirit, RMNB]
• The NHL chapter of Tomas Vokoun's NHL career started some 15 years ago. Pull up a chair and read the tale. [WTOP]
• Czech, please! (Groan.) [CSNW (video)]
• Really sweet tool from our good friend Nate Ewell and company over at College Hockey Inc. that will remind you, for example, that two of tonight's combatants, Mike Knuble and John Madden, were once teammates. [Backhand Shelf]
• Finally, happy 40th birthday to John Slaney and a very happy 44th to the franchise's all-time leader in goals and points (among other things), Peter Bondra (and for a tribute to Bonzai, check out this FanPost from last year).

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on yesterday's loss from us, Caps365 video (Hunter, Caps players, Julien, Bruins players), Vogs, Capitals Voice, NHL.com, WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes (gamer, blog, blog), DCEx (gamer), CSNW (gamer, blog, Beninati), 106.7 The Fan, Frankovic, RMNB, DSP, Hockey Hourly, hockey yelling, Homer McFanboy and Clydeorama (pics)
  • Brooks Laich, skater down. [Caps365 (video), RMNB, Caps Outsider, OFB, WashTimes, Eye on Hockey]
    
  • Super Sunday memories. [BrooksLaichYear]
    
• The Week That Was, Volume 17. [Peerless]
• The "must-wins" begin. [KOL]
• The eternal "glass half empty" question. [NFTN]
• Trouble with a Capitals T. [Homer McFanboy]
• Time's a'wasting. [WashTimes]
• The Hershey Bears finally defeated the Baby Pens on Giant Center ice. [Patriot-News]
• Philipp Grubauer has a nifty new Caps/Stingrays bucket. [DaveArt]
• Finally, happy 58th birthday, Bob Sirois.

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on yesterday's win from us fat_daddyo, Caps365 video (Hunter, Caps players), Vogs, Capitals Voice, NHL.com, WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes (gamer, blog, blog), CSNW (Beninati, blog), Puck Daddy, fanfeedr, Peerless, Frankovic, RMNB, KOL, DSP, Hockey Hourly, KCM Sports, Sick Unbelievable, and hockey yelling, and from the other side, National Post and Habs Eyes on the Prize.
  • Alex Ovechkin was shaking off some rust. [NHL.com, WaPo]
    
  • Dima, Dima, burning bright. [RMNB (and again, with ever-improving English)]
  • "The first guy on our line is going to finish [his check] and the second guy’s going to be there to get the puck." Brooks Laich, Troy Brouwer, and Matt Hendricks (with the occasional cameo by Good Sasha) is a line worth watching and has been getting it done. [WaPo, BrooksLaichYear]
    
• Previews of today's big game with Beantown from Vogs, NHL.com, fanfeedr, and CRtC, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Stanley Cup of Chowder for more coverage from the other side of today's match-up.
  • Looks to be another start for Tomas Vokoun as he faces Tuukka Rask on the other end of the ice. [Pucking Hockey]
  • An identity crisis for the defending Stanley Cup champions? Oh, my. [CSN-NE, ESPN]
• Finally, happy 31st birthday, Kris Beech.

Your savory breakfast links:

• Previews of this afternoon's mayhem (?) in Montreal from Vogs, NHL.com, WashTimes, SB Nation DC, Peerless, RMNB and CRtC, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Habs Eyes On The Prize for more coverage from the other side of tonight's match-up.
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday out at Kettler:
  • In general. [Caps365 video (Hunter, Aucoin, Laich, Perreault, Hamrlik), WaPo, CSNW, 106.7 The Fan]
  • He's baaaaaack... [WashTimes, WaPo, CSNW]
  • ... and, by the way, not dirty. [WashTimes]
    
  • But speaking of dirty, the Caps haven't forgotten about what Rene Bourque did a month ago... [WashTimes, DCEx]
  • ... though if they're going to do anything about it today, it'll be without Joel Rechlicz, who was put on waivers yesterday after two games, six shifts and 4:26 of ice time. [WashTimes, WaPo, CSNW]
  • So what does Keith Aucoin bring to the party? [Dump 'n Chase, WaPo, WashTimes, DSP]
    
• You didn't think that that Karl Alzner quote was going to go unnoticed, did you? [Puck Daddy, Examiner]
• As for Alzner's usual D-partner... he's strugglin'... [KOL]
• ... but is rockin' the slapper. [WaPo]
• The Caps, they are a-slidin'... [Hockey Prospectus]
• ... in large part because they're square pegs being forced into round holes. [DSP]
• All that said, will they win the Southeast? [Inside Hockey]
• Relive Matt Hendricks' highlight reel goal in Tampa, frame-by-frame. [RMNB]
• Forget League MVP, is The Captain still the Caps' MVP? [WUSA, One Girl One Puck]
• Regardless, AO is still a rock star. Check out the mob scene in Montreal. [Alex Ovetjkin, @habsinsideout1]
• If it ain't the coach, it's the players... but it's not too late. [Peerless]
• Finally, happy 43rd birthday to Joe Sacco.

Your savory breakfast links:

• An otherwise routine off-day optional practice at Kettler turned into an afternoon filled with breaking news. [Dump 'n' Chase]
  
  • Mike Green skated! For the third day in a row! And smiled for the first time in forever. [NHL.com, WaPo, WashTimes (and again), CSNW, SB Nation DC, What's Up Ya Sieve, Caps365 (video)]
  • Alex Ovechkin worked on his shot. And yes, he's missed hockey ... [DCEx, Caps OT, Alex Ovetjkin]
    • ... and Caps hockey has missed Alex Ovechkin. [106.7 The Fan]
      
  • Joel Rechlicz talked the talk, and hopes he'll get his chance to walk the walk. [WashTimes, WaPo, CSNW, Caps Examiner, PHT, SBNation DC, KOL]
    
  • Cody Eakin practiced, then packed for Hershey. [WashTimes]
    
  • A cryptic tweet from Bears teammate Ryan Potulny broke the news - centerman and AHL points/assists leader Keith Aucoin has been recalled. [WashTimes, WaPo]
    • The Japers' Wayback Machine brings us these observations from 2009. [Japers' Rink]
    • Sk84fun_dc found this gem from 2010. That's some nice hand hardware in the picture. And the story's a good one. [Ice Time]
• Two trades at the AHL level were also announced. [@WashCaps, Patriot-News, DC Pro Sports Report, SHoE]
  
  • The Bears' blueline got younger but potentially scrappier as Kevin Marshall arrives from Philadelphia's organization and Danny Richmond leaves for the Lake Erie Monsters. [WashTimes, Broad Street Hockey, Half Smokes]
    
  • And centerman Mike Carman arrives from the Avs organization as winger Matt Ford was sent to Adirondack.
    
• This just in - the Caps are missing their stars. [CSNW, and again]
• So sorry. [THN]
• John Carlson is your D-man fantasy stud in a keeper league. But for this year? Not so much. [THN]
• Breakdown of a breakdown: that ugly goal in Sunrise. [BrooksLaichYear]
• Entitlement town? [Sick Unbelievable]
• John Erskine, Jason Chimera, and Jay Beagle upped their ADORBS/60 games by helping out at Dreams For Kids. [Caps Outsider, Caps OT]
• Alex Ovechkin has Friday night plans in Montreal - co-hosting a charity fundraiser with Max Pacioretty and Vlad Tretiak. [Montreal Gazette, Gameworn.net]
• The Caps may be ninth in the Eastern Conference but they are number one in DC Lottery promotions. [WBJ]
• 7-1-0, a shutout, a 1.66 Goals Against Average, and a .935 S% have earned Philipp Grubauer ECHL Rookie of the Month honors. [ECHL.com, DSP, Rays the Roof]
  
• With six goals and six assists in just nine games, Evgeny Kuznetsov was named the KHL's Best Forward for the month of January. [KHL.ru]
• Kuznetsov and Alexander Radulov are the poster boys for today's big match between upstart Traktor and defending Gagarin Cup champs Salavat Yulaev. The game is live and free on the KHL's YouTube channel beginning at 8am. [KHL on YouTube]
• Finally, happy 44th birthday to Frantisek Kucera, the centerpiece of one of the most important trades in Caps history.