Tuesday Caps Clips: Capitals @ Rangers Game Day

Your savory breakfast links:

• Previews of tonight’s return to the scene of Game 7 from Vogs, NHL.com, AP, Peerless, and from 42nd Street, the NYDN, NY Rangers Blog, and be sure to visit our SB Nation pals over at Blueshirt Banter for the other side of tonight’s matchup.
  • Given the fact that every game in their recent playoff series was decided by one goal, it wouldn’t be surprising for tonight’s match to be another tight one. [CSNMA]
  • Pretty fun to see the Caps referred to as the litmus test for another team to show how good they are. [NY Post, NYDN]
  • With Alex Ovechkin coming to town, the Rangers have put Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi back together again, and will sit Dan Boyle for Dylan McIlrath. [Newsday, NYDN, LoHud, Blue Line Station]
  • Ovechkin returns to New York with a much-improved supporting cast of proven scorers and winners. [NYTimes]
• News and notes from a travel day for the Caps:
  • In general. [Monumental video (Trotz, Backstrom)]
  • He’s already the Caps’ top defenseman, but John Carlson continues to put in the work to fix the little things. [WaPo]
  • The Caps are going through a bit of a dry patch with the extra man and have now gone scoreless in their last seven power-play opportunities, . [WaPo]
• See who’s up and who’s down in our weekly look at individual… well, ups and downs. [Rink]
• Your October MVP for the Caps: Evgeny Kuznetsov. [TheRunnerSports]
• Looking back at the past week and month… [USA Today, Pressbox DC, THW]
• …and ahead to the next week and month. [Stars and Sticks (and again)]
• As more and more studies (and tragedies) show the long-term impact of concussions, more and more people are changing their mind about the need for fighting in the NHL. [OtG]
• Three years ago, concussions forced Colton Stephenson out of hockey; now his brother Chandler is living the NHL dream for them both. [CSNMA]
• Checking in on a deep prospect pool. [Caps Outsider, Patriot-News]
• 12 years after his retirement, former Cap Phil Housley will get his long overdue entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame this weekend. [ESPN]
• Reflecting on the Caps’ career of traitor Sergei Gonchar, one of Washington’s most underrated defensemen. [THW]
• Finally, happy 46th birthday to Jim McKenzie.