Your savory breakfast links:
- Previews of today’s matinee from Vogs, NHL.com, WaPo, WashTimes, AP, Peerless, OFB, Sick Unbelievable, RtR and Hockey Shopped, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner PensBurgh for more from the other side of today’s match-up.
- Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday’s optional skate out at Kettler:
- In general. [Monumental video (Oates, Alzner, Wolski, Beagle), WashTimes, DSP]
- Look for Braden Holtby to make a second-straight start (and for Tomas Vokoun to be in between the pipes for the Pens). [Monumental (video), WashTimes, WaPo, Sick Unbelievable]
- Tomfoolery! [WashTimes, DCEx]
- The League has suspended John Erskine for three games for his hit on Wayne Simmonds the other night, which makes the total number of games they’ve taken away from him this season now 37. [Dump ‘n Chase, WashTimes, WaPo, DCEx, CSNW, Puck Daddy, SI, NBC4, RMNB]
- Leftover thoughts, musings and recaps from Friday night’s win over Philly. [WashTimes, WaPo, DCEx]
- Ironically, the centerpiece of the Caps’ rebuild is, himself, now being rebuilt. [CSNW]
- More than you ever wanted to read about Troy Brouwer and celebrating Gangnam Style. [RMNB]
- Grading the Caps through January. [THW]
- In a short season, it may very well be better to be lucky than good. [Macleans]
- Bears win a goalie duel behind a stellar performance by Philipp Grubauer. [Patriot-News (and again), SHoE]
- Finally, happy 45th birthday to Frantisek Kucera, the marquee name in one of the most important trades in Caps history.