Friday Caps Clips: Breaking Bad Hab-its

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's rollercoaster of a shootout win from us, Vogs, Monumental video (Trotz, Ovechkin, Holtby, Carlson, Ward, highlights), NHL.com, AP, WaPo (gamer, blog), CSNW, Frankovic, Globe and Mail, Stars and Sticks, RMNB, DSP, and from le Quebecois side, the Habs (gamer, numbers), Montreal Gazette (gamer, blog), Journal de Montreal, RDS, TVA Sports, and Eyes on the Prize. 
  • Many congrats to Alex Ovechkin for becoming the franchise's all-time top goal-scorer... and #473 was a beauty, too. [Capitals Voice, Monumental video, Caps OT (and again), Rink, Montreal Gazette, Puck Daddy, CSNW (video), Stars and Sticks, RMNB, Caps Outsider, PHT, The Score, TVA Sports]
  • From Elias: Alex Ovechkin became the all-time leading goal-scorer in Capitals franchise history when he recorded the first of his two goals in Washington's shootout win at Montreal. It was Ovechkin's 473rd career goal, which moved him past Peter Bondra at 472 and into sole possession of the top spot on the Capitals' leaders list. Bondra had been #1 since 2001, when he tied Mike Gartner at 397 goals (Nov. 28) and passed him with goals #398 two days later (Nov. 30).
  • More from Elias: Only two other active NHL players are the career leader in goals for their current team: the Sharks' Patrick Marleau and the Devils' Patrik Elias.
  • Still more from Elias: Alex Ovechkin's multiple-goal game was his 15th of the season (setting a personal high and a Capitals team record) and the 100th of his NHL career. Ovechkin has played 756 games in the NHL, which is the sixth-fewest games than any player has needed to record 100 multi-goal performances. The top five are Wayne Gretzky (452), Mike Bossy (553), Mario Lemieux (553), Brett Hull (561) and Jari Kurri (685).
  • It might have gotten a bit overshadowed, but there was another milestone in last night's game, as bench boss Barry Trotz became the 13th NHL head coach to pick up 600 wins. Impressive. [The Score]
• News and notes from yesterday's pregame skate: 
  • In general. [Dump 'n Chase, Monumental video (Trotz, Ovechkin, Holtby, Rinkside Update/Carlson)]
  • Last night featured a showdown between a couple of Hart Trophy contenders in Ovechkin and Carey Price - a race that may end up being closer than it once seemed. [WaPo, CSNW, USA Today]
  • He's not just making a name for himself as an MVP; Ovechkin is staking his claim as the best player in the NHL. [Caps Circle]
  • Could the Caps and Habs be on a collision course towards another first-round matchup? [Journal de Montreal]
  • The Caps' current third line - or at least what was the third line at the start of last night's game - checked in with the oldest average age, but that didn't stop them from producing. [WaPo]
  • After wrapping up his three-game conditioning stint with Hershey, Dmitry Orlov has been recalled and returns to the LTIR... for now. [Caps, RMNB]
• Taking a look at some potential first-round opponents. [DSP, Stars and Sticks]
• It gets harder and harder to pin down who that first-round opponent will be (should the Caps make it), because the East's playoff landscape just keeps shifting. [PHT]
• Really, it's anyone's guess who's gonna win the Cup this time around. Heck, the Caps could! Or they couldn't! [NHL.com]
• Unlike their parent club in DC, the Hershey Bears have a much easier road - at least on paper - to finish out the regular season. [Patriot-News]
• Stephen Strasburg: hardcore Capitals fan. Well... okay, not really. But he does like them! [WaPo]
• Finally, happy 32nd birthday to Joey Crabb V.v.V