Your savory breakfast links:
- There appears to be some movement in the organization’s search for a new general manager and head coach:
- For GM, Renaud Lavoie reports that the names of Mike Gillis, Jay Feaster, Darcy Regier, and perhaps others are in circulation. [Eye on Hockey]
- Our pals at Puck Buddys have… uh… something different in mind. [Puck Buddys]
- For head coach, there may be some mutual interest between the team and former Nashville bench boss Barry Trotz. Maybe even more than interest. The Caps may, in fact, be… wait for it… hot for Trotz. [WaPo (and again), Puck Daddy, PHT]
- For followup, whither the Wayne Gretzky rumo(u)rs? [CSNW]
- For sure, we’re not in the GMGM Cone of Silence Era anymore, are we?
- The year in:
- Mike Green. [Rink, RMNB]
- Marcus Johansson. [Peerless, CSNW]
- On to Minsk, where the leading scorers for Belarus, Canada, and Russia all play for the Caps.
- Russia
- Sbornaya came out fast and hard and didn’t let up in a 6-1 victory over Team USA. [Sport Daily]
- Alex Ovechkin scored a beauty of a penalty shot (the eventual game-winner) on Tim Thomas to put his team up 2-0. Selfishvechkin then proceeded to hog the puck with two assists, including a coast-to-coast rush and gem of an assist to Viktor Tikhonov on the occasion of his 24th birthday. [RMNB]
- Of note: Russia played with eleven forwards and seven defenders due to attrition by injury and suspension. Ovi double-shifted for the full game and is credited with 39:14 ice time. [sovsport.ru]
- Evgeny Kuznetsov had a quieter game but was able to capitalize with a goal when Jacob Trouba broke his stick. Perhaps he is saving most of his goals for Latvia. [Instagram]
- Oh, and by the way, Dmitry Orlov left the game in the second period, did not return in the third, and is not expected to play on Wednesday when Russia meets Kazakhstan. We awaited further information… [R Sport, RMNB]
- … which came early this morning: broken arm, Dima’s tourney is over. [@slavamalamud and again]
- Belarus
- Mikhail Grabovski blew the roof right off Minsk Arena with the GWG late in the third versus Switzerland, a goal that was everything a gamewinner should be. Right up to the Lambeau Leap into the bench. [RMNB, sports.ru, Hockey House]
- Make that Coach Grabo – per Coach Hanlon, Grabovski suggested moving Sergei Kostitsyn to the top line. He did, and they did, and Grabo and his new wingman took flight. [belta.by]
- “I believe only in that half an hour [from now I will] drink a cold beer.” Coach Hanlon gets the prize for the best quote of the tournament.
- Canada
- The lunchpail crew earned another lunchpail victory, 4-3 against the Czechs. Joel Ward tied the game at one-all and assisted on the game-winner. Jason Chimera also had an assist. [National Post]
- Russia
- Leggo our Grabo, Winterpeg. Keep your maple-sticky paws off. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
- From the Dept. of Where Are They Now?, former Caps defenseman Shaone Morrisonn will be patrolling the blueline for Mark French and Medvescak Zabgreb in the KHL next year. [allhockey.ru]
- Finally, who’s got the buzz? Prob’ly not the Caps, lately. [WaPo]