Your savory breakfast links:
- Previews of tonight’s game against the Flightless Foul from Vogs, Empty Netters (Pens), Peerless, CSN Washington and NHL.com, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner PensBurgh for coverage from the other side of tonight’s match up.
- To refresh your memory, this is the third of four meetings on the season between the Caps and Pens, with the Caps winning the first two by 6-3 and 5-4 counts.
- Brooks Laich‘s streak of 257 consecutive games played is in jeopardy after taking a John Carlson shot off the crossbar and into his face. Bad Carly. [WaPo]
- Pictures from yesterday’s practice. [Caps In Pictures]
- Bruce Boudreau was on the Air Condescension behind enemy lines yesterday, and discussed, among other things, Sidney Crosby‘s latest outburst. [D.C. Sports Bog]
- Pittsburgh writer passes up opportunity to minimize the Caps’ achievements, heads in D.C. explode. [Post-Gazette]
- Yesterday’s big off-ice news, of course, was that the Caps got a visit from The Law. Reactions to the news ranged from informative and measured to amateur hour on the Intertubes. Enjoy. [FanHouse, WaPo, CI, Puck Daddy, ProHockeyTalk, SB Nation, Canwest]
- Alex Ovechkin is the top skater in the League and Nicklas Backstrom is just three spots behind. [Puck Prospectus]
- Alex Ovechkin is the second-most clutch skater in the League (though on a per-game basis he’s far and away first) and Nicklas Backstrom is just two spots behind. [The Hockey News]
- A bunch of pundits go on record with their Hart Trophy picks. Prepare the “Love Him/Hate Him” lists. [CSN Washington]
- Speaking of Hart and love, how about some for David Backes, whose “sleeper” MVP is Backstrom: “I’m just amazed at how poised he is and strong on his skates for being so young and making so many plays. He’s dynamic. I think he may be overshadowed there by (Alexander) Semin, Ovechkin and some of the other talent.” [The Sporting News]
- Blackhawks Owner Rocky Wirtz conflates the Brian Campbell hit with the debate over head shots. And he’s essentially one of the NHL’s lawmakers. Perfect. [D.C. Sports Bog]
- On Mike Green and his need for speed. [Capitals]
- The Caps have seriously deep depth offensively… [Bangin’ Panger]
- … and a ridiculous power play. [D.C. Landing Strip]
- Brooks Laich talks slumping (but not slump-busting). [Capitals]
- The first installment of “Caps OT” was so wildly successful they’ve come back with a second. [CSN Washington]
- A few radio hits to pass along, with Eric Fehr on The FAN 590 and on the Lavar & Chad Show (mp3), and Shaone Morrisonn on Holden Kushner (mp3).
- “Great drafting, patience developing players, promoting from within, rewarding excellence, soliciting input throughout the organization and committed ownership and management at both the NHL and AHL level have made the Washington Capitals the premier organization today.” Not without a you-know-what. [The Hockey News]
- Andrew Gordon is really coming into his own down on the farm. [NHL.com]
- Finally, happy 55th birthday to Doug Jarvis, the NHL’s all-time iron man, whose 964 consecutive games played say, “Rub some some ice on it and get back out there tonight, Brooksie.”