Your savory breakfast links:
- No men’s hockey today as the preliminary round is complete and the qualification round is Tuesday, quarterfinal round on Wednesday. But the women’s semifinals are today, with USA-Sweden at 7:30 (Eastern) and Canada-Switzerland at noon.
- Bracketology 101: The brackets are set. Sweden’s regulation sweep earned them the #1 seed, with USA #2, Canada #3, and Finland #4, each with a bye to the quarterfinals. Russia took the #5 seed and will have to play past #12 Norway tomorrow in order to face the Finns in the QF. The Czechs took the 7th seed and will play #10 Slovakia for the right to play in the QF vs. USA. [Puck Daddy, IIHF]
- U-S-A! U-S-A! Phil Kessel brought the pain, and a hat trick, for a US 5-1 victory over Slovenia. [NBC Olympics, NHL.com, IIHF]
- John Carlson saw a bit more ice time in this game. [CSNW]
- Game photos available here (but no pix of the post-game team party.) –> [Jeff Cable Photography]
- Shaibu Rossiya! Team Russia had Semyon Varlamov between the pipes for a one-nothing shootout shutout of Slovakia. [NBC Olympics, NHL.com, IIHF]
- Of note – Slovakia’s major pre-game prep for this match was film study of Alex Ovechkin shooting pucks. [AllHockey.ru]
- So the Ovechkin – Evgeny Malkin – Alexander Semin line doesn’t appear to be generating much traction, or goals. Maybe Coach Bill needs to make a change… but is it too late? [AllHockey.ru]
- Heja Sverige! Team Sweden won’t play hockey again ’til Wednesday, which has left them plenty of time for sightseeing and cycling. [@mjohansson90, RMNB]
- Tommy George of Frederick, Maryland is living out his dream as an Olympic hockey linesman. [The Postgame]
- Narratives – the song remains the same for two famous hockey players, wheresoever they may fare. [Peerless]
- Your Capitals Minute for today. [Capitals Voice]
- The Week That Was, Olympic Edition [Peerless]
- It’s been a monumental week for athletes based in the DMV. [Ted’s Take]
- Make it five in a row and twelve of the last fourteen for the Hershey Bears as they recorded their first chocolate-and-white W on the season at Mohegan Sun Arena. [Patriot-News, SHoE]
- Prospect update:
- #AskAnOtter – Andre Burakovsky likes the food at Chipotle and answers other important questions from Otters and Caps fans. [ErieHighlightReel (video)]
- Oh, and in 44 games played, he has 31 goals and 67 points, a plus/minus rating of +31, and is only 4th on his team for scoring. [OttersHockey]
- Riley Barber has 20 goals and 20 assists in 29 games but his Miami squad has been losing a lot and is currently dead last in the standings in the NCHC and ranked #35 in the NCAA. [NCHC]
- Madison Bowey registered his 101st WHL point recently but has had a slow February. The Kelowna Rockets still sit atop the CHL rankings. [WHL, Regan’s Rants]
- If you have been pining for former Bears coach Mark French and are planning a trip to Croatia to see him behind the bench for the KHL Medvescak Zagreb, here’s a handy guide to the experience. [Pension Plan Puppets, Medvescak (English site)]
- Everyone who had “Brooks Laich” as the first Cap to be widely reported in the (North American) celebrity media, raise your hand. But really, you didn’t. [Daily Mail, RMNB]
- Finally, happy 57th birthday to Archie Henderson.
