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Thursday Caps Clips: Back to Winning Ways; Lightning @ Caps Game Day

Your savory breakfast links:

  • Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s win from the us, WaPo (blog, gamer), Vogs, Joe B., Ed Frankovic, RMNB, RtR, the CAPS lock, and Puckhead.
  • Previews of tonight’s game against the Bolts from Vogs, Peerless and NHL.com, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Raw Charge for coverage from the other side of tonight’s match up.
  • To refresh your memory, this is the fourth meeting between the Caps and Lightning on the season, with the Caps sandwiching 3-0 and 3-2 wins around a 7-4 loss in Tampa.
  • KPD doesn’t believe in the Caps’ goaltending, and throws a rumor against the wall to see if it sticks. [NBC]
  • Good news – a large handful of the Caps’ remaining games will be broadcast on 106.7 The Fan. That’s FM radio, boys and girls. [106.7 The Fan]
  • Let’s do some good, shall we? [FanPost]
  • After the jump, a run-down of quotes, reactions, etc. from Deadline day – not to be missed.
  • General reactions to what the Caps did at the deadline:
    • “I like what we did – we got better and deeper and didn’t give up our future to do it. We also didn’t take on any bad contracts to do it. I was really pleased with the way it went.” – George McPhee [Corey Masisak, CI]
    • “The depth additions give Boudreau the ability to rest players and manage ice time here and there as the Caps gear up for the playoffs. The coach won’t cop to it, but all the drama is gone from both the Southeast Division and Eastern Conference races. Now the drama involves watching how Boudreau integrates his new pieces and in what ways he chooses to manage and deploy his roster as the team tries to hit a performance peak at the right time.” [Dump n’ Chase]
    • “Big moves from a team looking at a Cup within reach, and not many assets sacrificed to make them. GRADE: A-” [Puck Daddy]
    • “The Caps are loaded with role players now, but you can never have too many warrior types in the playoff fire.” [Edmonton Journal]
    • “The Caps’ belief that they can win it all is clearly evident in their trade deadline aggressiveness. They went all in. The acquisition of Joe Corvo from Carolina gives the team another blue-chip, puck-handling defenseman. The addition of Eric Belanger from Minnesota Wild for a second-round pick gives Washington a dependable center to add to the mix for the playoffs. Plus, Scott Walker’s addition from Carolina Hurricanes gives the Capitals more fire in their belly for the stretch run. He plays with an edge. The Caps reacquired wide-bodied Milan Jurcina, who adds depth and bulk to the blue line. The only question left after George McPhee’s moves is whether Washington’s goaltending will be good enough in the playoffs. But McPhee has made it clear that he has faith that his goaltending will measure up.” [USA Today]
    • “Did they fill every hole on this team? No. But at the end of the season you’re not trying to be perfect. You just want to have fewer weaknesses than the other guy – and get lucky, too. The next 20 games+ will tell us all if the Caps got better or messed too much with a good thing.” [DCEx]
    • “They didn’t bring in the “shutdown” defenseman people keep looking for them to acquire, but, on the other hand, it’s hard for the other team to score if it never has the puck.” [FanHouse]
    • “Winners: Washington. I’m usually all about going for a sure thing instead of an unknown prospect, but the Capitals gave up a lot for Joe Corvo, Eric Belanger, Milan Jurcina and Scott Walker. Washington is clearly gearing up for a Cup run, though, and (at least for this year) these deals should give them a slight boost.” [Pro Hockey Talk]
    • “McPhee and DC Coach Bruce Boudreau were able to cross a good deal off their “to acquire” list- experience, a passion for the game, a true Center, defensive abilities, puck handling- while not giving up much in return.” [RtR]
    • “I like Scotty Walker a lot, that’s a good addition. The Corvo deal for (Brian) Pothier, to me, that’s a push. … I don’t know, I look at those deals and I’m not sure they’re better.” – Jay Feaster [The Sporting News]
    • “Winners: Washington Capitals. They badly needed a third-line centre and Eric Belanger, acquired from Minnesota, is a 57 per cent faceoff guy who has 35 points. Joe Corvo, acquired from Carolina, gives the Caps a double-pronged power-play guy with Mike Green, but has a reputation as a risk-taker. Scott Walker doesn’t have a lot left in his tank, but he’s a solid fourth-line presence, and tough. Washington also got Milan Jurcina back for blueline depth. They didn’t address goaltending, however.” [Edmonton Journal]
    • “There is a numbers game here to manage, quite obviously. There’s suddenly a surplus of bodies. Suddenly there is too robust competition for virtually every position on this contending hockey club except on the first line. That isn’t such a bad thing. Even more importantly, as the rigors of a likely lengthy postseason run take their toll the Capitals can, when needed, replace key cogs with battle-tested ones.” [OFB]
  • On the acquisition of Joe Corvo:
    • “In this deal, the Capitals and Hurricanes essentially swapped 32-year-old puck-moving defensemen who have spent much of this season injured. Corvo gives the Caps another weapon from the blueline, while the Hurricanes get Osala, a hulking winger who is playing in the minors and was No. 10 on Washington’s prospect list. Winner: Carolina.” [The Hockey News]
    • “He’s a better puck-mover than Pothier and will help on the power play. Pothier’s been on the brink for a while, never having recovered after a massive rehab from a concussion and become superfluous after the acquisition of Tom Poti.” [Puck Daddy]
    • This is the last thing the Capitals needed. This is Mike Green light. Joe Corvo has wonderful offensive abilities, but he’s a turnover machine.The Capitals do not need any more offense. They needed defense, especially on the blue line. Joe Corvo offers the exact opposite of all that. This is not a good move.” [Empty Netters]
  • On the acquisition of Eric Belanger:
    • “Belanger has never scored 40 points in a season, but he is good on faceoffs and will be responsible defensively. Consider him another depth forward on this Caps team and a rental; Belanger is a UFA this summer. For a team with little in the pipeline, the Wild was wise to grab a solid draft slot in return. Winner: Minnesota.” [The Hockey News]
    • “Meanwhile, the Washington Capitals traded a second-round pick for Eric Belanger of the Minnesota Wild, which pretty much confirms our theory that the Caps believe they can grind down the forwards on the Penguins and Flyers with their own depth at forward, and not have to worry about adding many significant bodies on the blue line.” [Puck Daddy]
    • “We like this move for the Capitals. Belanger is a guy who is an ideal No. 3 center. He might be asked to fill in as a No. 2 in spurts in Washington and he’s capable of that. But only in portions. Most importanly, he’s a very, very good defensive player. He should immediately one of the Capitals’ top penalty killers. And he’s an excellent faceoff specialist at 57.6 percent. And his point production is more than respectable.” [Empty Netters]
    • “Ironically, Belanger is now on the same team as Chimera. Early in the season, Belanger clobbered Chimera in a Wild-Jackets game, injuring Chimera. Chimera thought it was a cheap hit and went out of his way to fight Belanger when the clubs met later.” [Edmonton Journal]
  • On the acquisition of Scott Walker:
    • “People have always said that I played like George [McPhee], and I did like watching him play and his highlight videos. So it was exciting, a guy who just put it on the line and wanted to do whatever it takes, and I hope that’s what I can do.” – Walker [D.C. Sports Bog]
    • “The 36-year-old is a gritty player who can kill penalties and plays physical. For a Capitals team that is long on skill in the top-six, the right winger can be slotted on the third or fourth line and provide solid depth. He is an unrestricted free agent this summer, so don’t be surprised if Walker turns out to be a classic ‘rental’ player as the Caps make a run at the Stanley Cup. Having said that, it’s hard to believe a roster player with character was only worth what will likely be one of the final picks in the 2010 draft. Winner: Washington.” [The Hockey News]
    • Scott Walker’s trade to the Washington Capitals (per TFP) is a solid one for the Caps. Good intangibles, plays with passion (as Aaron Ward’s face can confirm). An energy player that went through the playoff grind last season with the Carolina Hurricanes.” [Puck Daddy]
    • “[L]et’s not go forgetting that when he first broke into the NHL, his nickname was ‘Wild Thing,’ his fists got most of the attention, and his reputation was that of an undersized scrapper.” [D.C. Sports Bog]
    • “We like the move for the Capitals. They could use a little bit of toughness and Walker does bring that. He’s not an enforcer by any stretch of the imagination at 5-foot-10, 196 pounds but he’s hardly shy about mixing it up with anyone. Having seen Matt Bradley fill the role as an defacto enforcer, he probably could use some help. Most importantly, he’ll bring a lot of energy to the Capitals. He can score a goal, start a fight or stick a big hit on an opponent.” [Empty Netters]
  • On the re-acquisition of Milan Jurcina:
    • “It’s almost like a woke up from a dream. I’m going back to Washington, where I have a lot of friends and have a chance to win the Stanley Cup.” – Jurcina [BJX]
    • Interesting aspect of Jurcina deal — he was just diagnosed with a sports hernia.” [@TSNBobMcKenzie (Juice is out 4-6 weeks)]
    • “It isn’t much, mind you, but it is something. That said, Jurcina’s familiarity factor with Washington clearly worked in the 6-foot-4 Slovak’s favor; he’ll add another big body to a defense corps that needs all the soldiers it can get. Winner: Washington.” [The Hockey News]
    • “We’ve been saying that the Caps needed a big, veteran presence on their blue line. We just figured it would be one that didn’t already have a jersey waiting for him at Verizon Center.” [Puck Daddy]
  • From a Hershey perspective:
    • “You really go in hoping your lineup doesn’t get hurt. Outside of losing Oskar, who has been a great American League player, I think our lineup stays pretty status quo, pretty strong.” – Bears president-GM Doug Yingst [Patriot-News]
  • Finally, thanks to every last one of you who made yesterday a record-breaking day for us here at The Rink by just about any metric imaginable, including roughly 6,000 comments. You all rock.

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