Your savory breakfast links:
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s overtime win from us, Monumental video (Oates, Brouwer, players), Capitals Voice, NHL.com, AP, SportsXchange, WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes (gamer), CSNW (Joe B.), NBC4, Frankovic, Peerless, DSP, Hockey Shopped, RtR, Puckhead, Caps Basketball, Caps Across the Pond and RMNB, and with the view from (not-so-sunny) Florida, On Frozen Pond, Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel, and our SB Nation friends over at Litter Box Cats.
- Alex Ovechkin was thisclose to picking up his first Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Alas, his “fight” with Kris Versteeg was labeled a mere roughing. Or was it a dance? [Caps Basketball, RMNB, Alex Ovetjkin]
- So is this the game that begins to turn the season around? Time will tell. [ESPN]
- Pretty safe to say that Troy Brouwer enjoys playing Florida teams, and he showed it again tonight with the big OT winner. Special kudos to Nicklas Backstrom for that beauty of a pass, too. [RMNB]
- You don’t need to wear a letter to be a leader. [Sick, Unbelievable]
- Speaking of the big goal-scorer, Brouwer’s been stepping up as one of the team’s leaders – both on and off the ice. [Sick Unbelievable]
- That third line of Eric Fehr, Mathieu Perreault and Joel Ward continues to be a pleasant surprise. [Wash Times (and again), WaPo, CSNW]
- Just as good friend and former Cap Jose Theodore predicted, Mike Ribeiro is settling in just fine to his new home in DC… [CSNW, Wash Times]
- …and don’t worry, Mike. We don’t think thirty-three is that old. [Wash Times]
- He may have started out slow, but Ovechkin is getting back to his old “shoot from anywhere” self – and we love it. [Caps Outsider]
- Union rep Jason Chimera talks about the potential for division realignment as soon as next season. [Wash Times]
- Former Cap (and college student) Ben Clymer gives us a peek inside those storied players-only meetings. [THN]
- Dmitry Orlov continues his road back to game shape but is still not taking contact. Boo-urns. [PennLive]
- Your Debbie Downer hat trick of the day:
- The Caps can’t make the playoffs! [ESPN ($)]
- The Caps (and Braden Holtby) are huge disappointments!! [Grantland (DGB)]
- The Caps are letdowns!!! [ESPN]
- Performance on the ice slumps, prices in the stands go up. Capitalism!!1 (…pun intended.) [KK]
- And finally, a touching tribute to an athlete, fan and friend who is gone too soon. [Caps Across the Pond]