Your savory breakfast links:
- Early-in-the-season optimism is optimistic, but the numbers might actually back up what our eyes are seeing. [Rink, RMNB]
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s regulation loss to the Oilers from us (Recap, QuickCap, GIFs), Vogs, Monumental video (Trotz, Holtby, Backstrom, Johansson) NHL.com (and highlights), PHT, AP, WaPo, CSNW, Peerless, DSP (plus three stars), RMNB, GM on a Couch, Copper and Blue, and Edmonton Sun.
- Nicklas Backstrom was pleased to score his 500th career point… [Rink, CSNW, RMNB, Capitals Voice (audio)]
- … but he wasn’t very excited to lose out on the two standings points. [CSNW]
- Jay Beagle scored a game-night sweater. Snoopy dances for everyone! [WaPo]
- Old friend Matt Hendricks invited Caps rookie Liam O’Brien to the dance. [Caps Outsider, HockeyFights]
- Notes from a Western Canada roadie:
- Alex Ovechkin is the best interview in the business. Full stop. [Sportsnet.ca, DC Sports Bog]
- And he knows how to draw a crowd. [WaPo]
- He is also a perfect match for new head coach Barry Trotz. No, really… [Sportsnet.ca]
- … and that’s a good thing, as the questions keep coming, over and over and over and over.
- Sitting in the penalty box and watching the game-winner scored against the Caps was prob’ly not how Jason Chimera envisioned his happy homecoming party. [CSNW]
- “I don’t have to carry bags, but I have to wait until the last guy to get my dinner and I’m the last guy onto an elevator (on the road). Last guy every single time, but I don’t care … just to be in the NHL and around these guys, that’s good for me.” Andre Burakovsky is wowing ’em in Western Canada…[Edmonton Journal]
- …and continues to do the things he needs to do to stay on the Calder Trophy voters’ radar. [THW]
- Matt Niskanen scored the big contract, increased ice time, and the confidence of his coaches. It’s almost as if these things are related, somehow. [NHL.com]
- Our friends at District Sports Page did some roundtabling:
- Finally, we stand on guard with thee, O Canada. [Silver Seven]