Your savory breakfast links:
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s big win from us, Monumental video (Oates, Ovechkin, players), Vogs, Capitals Voice (first, second, third), NHL.com, Puck Daddy, WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes (gamer, blog), CSNW (Joe B., AP gamer, blog), DCEx, Frankovic, Peerless, Alex Ovetjkin and RMNB.
- A look back at Nicklas Backstrom‘s other four-assist games. [Caps Outsider]
- Fun fact: Backstrom now has seven four-assist games. Since he entered the League, no one else even has six. #appletree [ESPN]
- Best wishes on a speedy recovery for Joni Pitkanen. (And how many more of these do we need before there’s a sensible rule change implemented? /minirant) [Puck Daddy, WashTimes]
- Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday’s pre-game goings-on down in Raleigh: Michal Neuvirth feels better after a nap (don’t we all) and more. [Monumental video (Two-Man Advantage, Oates, Riberio, Alzner, Beagle), WaPo, WashTimes]
- The Caps control their destiny thanks to getting better performances on the road. [Dump ‘n Chase]
- Today, of course, is Deadline Day (more on that below), and the Caps were busy with some smallish moves, perhaps in anticipation of something bigger today. Or not.
- The team re-signed Jack Hillen to a two-year deal… [us, Monumental (video), Dump ‘n Chase, WaPo, PHT]
- … activated John Erskine off the IR and sent both Dmitry Orlov and Tomas Kundratek back to Hershey… [WaPo, WashTimes, CSNW]
- … made a pair of minor league deals, bringing in Dane Byers and bringing back Joel Rechlicz… [CSNW, RMNB, Patriot-News, PHT]
- … and signed University of Minnesota blueliner Nate Schmidt, whose future fans will no doubt be dubbed Schmidtheads. [us, Dump n’ Chase, College Hockey Inc., Hockey Prospectus, TwinCities]
- The elephant in the Caps room on this Deadline Day, of course, is the guy who favors the fleur-de-lis. [ESPN, CBC (30 Thoughts), Puck Daddy, Backhand Shelf, Grantland, NBC4]
- Matt Hendricks isn’t an elephant, but he still needs a new deal. [WashTimes]
- CSN Washington’s Alan May weighs in on what might transpire… [CSNW (video)]
- … and he’ll join Mike Vogel and John Walton for a special edition of Capitals Report from noon to four today. (And that’s as strong a trio for puck talk and/or adult beverages as you’ll find.) [Capitals]
- George McPhee on equipment and more! Riveting! [CSNW]
- Then again, should you really believe anything McPhee says? [RMNB]
- Mathieu Perreault… trash? How dare you, good sirs? [AIH]
- A March prospect update. [DC Pro Sports Report]
- The Reading Royals’ playoff roster is “limited.” [Reading Eagle]
- Interesting stuff on where the folks at Monumental Network sees things heading. [SBJ]
- #42 to host a screening of 42. [Capitals]
- Mmmm… Jeff Halpern doughnuts. [Washington City Paper]
- Speaking of Caps alums, there are a handful playing some charity puck up in Palmyra. [PennLive]
- Happy 30th birthday to Joey Crabb. Awkward.
- Finally, stick with us throughout this Deadline Day (it’s not like you’re going to get any work done anyway). We’ll be posting and discussing all the latest Caps news, and you can keep up with the Caps Twitterati and League-wide happenings without even leaving the site with the widget below (which we call Tweet Tweeters). Sweet.