Thursday Caps Clips: Rivalry Roundhouse

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's win from us, Vogs, Monumental video (Trotz, locker room), NHL.com, WaPo, CSNMA, AP, PHT, TheScore, Frankovic, Peerless, NoVa Caps, FiCP, RMNB, Post-Gazette (and again), Tribune-Review, and Pensburgh.
• First up, enjoy each and every one of the (count ‘em!) seven goals scored by the Capitals against the Penguins last night. [RMNB]
• The game got off to an auspicious start when anthem singer Caleb Green’s microphone cut out and the Verizon Center faithful picked him up and finished The Star-Spangled Banner for him. #merica [Puck Daddy, NHL.com]
• The game took an eerie turn in the first period when Evgeni Malkin (who had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad night) clocked his own goalie in the face and Matt Murray had to leave the game. Postgame reports state that he passed the concussion protocol and may not lose time. [PPG, Puck Daddy, SI]
• The game took another eerie turn in the second period when Alex Ovechkin got tangled up with Kris Letang, crashed to the ice and then left the rink to head down the tunnel. He returned to the game and scored his eighth of the season. Coach sez he’s “sore somewhere on his body” and hopefully the ovechkinium frame will continue to hold true. [RMNB, WaPo, CSNMA, NVC]

• It’s Nick Backstrom’s world and he merely lets us skate in it. [dn.se, Puck Daddy, Svenska YLE]
• Oh hai there new-look high-scoring top line. [CSNMA]
• Prior to the game there was some Rivalry Night goodness (and silliness):
• Penguins Twitter decided to pick a fight with Capitals Twitter. That worked well. [RMNB, DC Sports Bog, ESPN]
• Both teams were looking to this game to bring some excitement and emotion to their play. [NHL.com, PPG]
• It’s not just a rivalry. [NVC]
• Did the Lig miscalculate in marketing Sid vs. Ovi? [HB]
• Related: The requisite “Ten Years of Sid vs. Ovi” video. [PHT]
• Coaches and GMs aren’t the only folks paying attention to advanced analytics, y’know. “We have businessmen” in this league and “they will throw pucks from anywhere to get a better Corsi," Trotz said. [USA Today]
• The latest 2018 Olympic update reportedly involves some sort of a quid pro quo involving the extension of the CBA. [USA Today]
• Checking in on the GM’s winter meeting. [NVC]
• Finally, happy 67th birthday to Gord Smith and Dennis Maruk turns the big 6-0 today.