Your savory breakfast links:
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s fourth straight loss from us (with quotes and the night in GIFs), Vogs, Monumental video (Oates, Carlson, Backstrom, Laich, Holtby), NHL.com, AP, WaPo, CSNW, Frankovic, Peerless, DSP, F Street Faithful, RMNB, and from TwinnyMinny, Hockey Wilderness and the Strib.
- “It’s not often you come to a Wild game wearing a hat or toque and actually leave without it.” [Russo’s Rants]
- Braden Holtby, confidence man? [WaPo]
- Mike Green was one goal shy of making this game into a double-defenseman-hat-trick epic. Alas. [CV, RMNB, CV, RMNB]
- Your Capitals Minute for today. [Capitals Voice]
- At the end of the season’s first semester, the Caps’ report card: “Needs Improvement.” [NBC4, Dump ‘n’ Chase]
- News and notes from yesterday’s morning skate:
- In general. [Monumental video (Two Man Advantage, Oates, Holtby, Rinkside Update/Backstrom)
- Oh hai there, new guy in net. Do we know you from somewhere? [WaPo, CSNW. RMNB]
- Should the downturn in Alex Ovechkin ‘s plus/minus rating be concerning? [CSNW]
- The Hershey Bears found some rhythm on the powerplay yesterday, with 3 PP goals in one game for the first time since last January, and took down the Rochester Americans 5-1… [Patriot-News, SHoE]
- … while Connor Carrick has returned from his national team duties. Coach Haviland hasn’t decided if Carrick will play today or wait ’til next week. [Patriot-News]
- In World Junior action, Team Sweden defeated Team Russia 2-1 in the semifinals and will face the Finns today in the gold medal game. Heja Sverige! [Hockey House, NHL.com]
- From the Where Are They Now? files, we learn that Nikita Kashirsky is now a player/assistant coach for the EIHL Dundee Stars of Dundee, Scotland, and that he scored the overtime game-winner yesterday to lift the Stars over the Belfast Giants. He’s also a little bit popular. [Nikita Kashirsky Fan Page]
- Finally, happy 26th birthday to Mathieu Perreault, happy 39th to Mike Grier and happy 46th to Joé Juneau.