Your savory Sunday brunch links:
- Previews of today’s battle with the Blackhawks from Vogs, NHL.com (Masisak), Peerless, RtR and CRtC, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner, Second City Hockey, for more coverage from the other side of today’s match-up.
- Notes and other assorted whatnot from yesterday’s practice. [Caps’ game notes, Caps365 video (Boudreau, players), DCEx (McNally), Caps Insider (One, Two), WaTi, CRtC, Pics: (Caps in Pictures, bridgetds, pagarciasalazar]
- Preparing to play the defending champions. [Washington Times (Whyno)]
- Fun’s over for the ‘Hawks; now it’s back to business. [Chicago Sun-Times]
- E.J. Hradek dropped by the Verizon Center to take a gander at the new-look Caps… [ESPN In$ider]
- …and Jason Arnott discussed the new-look NHL with Mike Vogel. Parity, FTW. [Dump-n-Chase]
- Alex Ovechkin is bringing the leadership. [ProHockeyTalk]
- He is also bringing DJ Pauly D. [Alex Ovetjkin, @dcsportsbog]
- Lingering injuries to Nicklas Backstrom and Semyon Varlamov are keeping them on the shelf. Fortunately, Magnus Johansson and Braden Holt are stepping up to the challenge. Wait, what? [Sporting News]
- Perhaps they meant Marcus Johansson? ‘Cos he’s looking pretty good. [WaPo (Carrera)]
- But in the meantime everyone is playing Mad Libs with Braden Holtby. He’s _______________:
- Brave. [DCEx]
- Prolific. [WaTi]
- Puck-handlin’. [CI]
- Taking charge. [CSN Washington]
- And wreaking havoc in the depth charts. [HotH]
- Matt Hendricks, playing the game the only way he knows how. [WaTi]
- Dmitri Orlov gave his old team an update on his new life in Hershey and hopes-n-dreams for the future. [Metallurg Novokuznetsk via Russian Ice Hockey Federation via GoogleTranslate]
- If you’re a GM and looking to pick up a free agent or three from the college ranks, here’s a handy shopping list. Andy Miele came to Caps’ DevCamp last summer and impressed. [Hockey’s Future]
- Finally, wishing you a very happy 42nd birthday, Killer.