Tuesday Caps Clips

Your savory breakfast links:

• A quick housekeeping note to begin with - check out our "Hershey Hub" and revamped "Vault" widgets on the left sidebar, and be sure to check out our sweet new Salary Cap page (linked to in The Vault). Everything we do, we do it for you.
• Both the WaTi and WaPo on Keith Aucoin and his short- and long-term futures with the club.
• The Caps will be on FM radio the rest of the way this year. [Caps.com]
• Scott Burnside poops on the Caps, and CK, in turn, poops on Burnside. [CK]
• Unoriginal: questioning Jose Theodore's ability to win in the playoffs. Slightly less unoriginal: questioning just about everyone else's. [Sportsnet.ca]
• Round one of this week's power ranking:
  • TSN.ca (holding at fifth): "3-0-2 in their last five, the Caps have moved into second in the Eastern Conference and have three divisional road games to finish off only their second 100-point season since 1985-1986."
  • ESPN.com (holding at third): "Capitals defenseman Mike Green's 30 goals are the most by a defenseman who has played fewer than 70 games (the most Green will play is 68)."
  • Sportsnet.ca (holding at fourth): "Thomas Fleischmann snaps a 14-game goalless drought with a tally against Atlanta."
  • The Hockey News (up three to seventh): "Crazy how much of a forgotten man Michael Nylander has become"
  • SportingNews.com (holding at fourth): "Our NHL playoff preview comes out this week in Sporting News magazine, and we pick the Caps to come out of the East. Hey, Jose Theodore, please don't make us look bad."
  • CBSSports.com (up three to fourth): "Alex Ovechkin has given himself a shot at a second consecutive scoring title with 15 points in his past six games."
• The Hart Trophy should be about more than "the most gaudy numbers and the best highlight reel." Except, pretty much, if the gaudy number is in the most widely disregarded stats around, plus/minus. Huh? [Montreal Gazette]
• The only reason Mike Green is getting any real Norris consideration is because he's on TV a lot. [Jack Edwards (whose math happens to stink)]
• What're the odds? Since you asked... [Flyer Frequent]
• Speaking of odds, five years ago yesterday the Caps had perhaps the biggest victory in franchise history, and had just a 14.2% chance of pulling it off going in. [OFB]
• Simeon Varlamov is the 33rd best prospect in hockey. Sounds low to me (and by low I mean high, as in too low in the rankings... oh, nevermind). [Hockey's Future]
• GMGM on D.C. and his Hobey Baker award. [INCH]
• Travis Morin led the ECHL in plus/minus. Maybe Jack Todd would vote for him for the Hart. [Post and Courier]
• Someone sounds like someone's not quite ready to retire. [News Tribune]