Saturday Caps Clips: Panthers @ Capitals Game Day

Your savory breakfast links:

• Greasy goals from the high-flying superstars - who’d a thunk it? [Rink]
• Previews of tonight's clash with the Kitties from Vogs (plus game notes), NHL.com, CSNMA, Peerless, AP and STATS LLC, and check out our SB Nation buddies at Litter Box Cats for the other side of tonight's match-up.
• What’s up with the Panthers anyway? [Puck Daddy]
• Tonight is “Caps Fight Cancer” night, which means you can bid on the players’ warmup jerseys/hats/sticks/pucks and also on the ties worn by the coaching staff, the CSN crew, and John Walton. Bidding is under way even now. [Handbid]
• Yesterday the Caps hosted attendees from Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, Flashes of Hope, Hope for Henry and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network for practice. After practice, each player was paired with a Make-A-Wish participant, all of whom are either battling cancer or in remission. They skated with their guests and invited them back to the locker room. And I’m not crying, you’re crying. [CSNMA, RMNB (and again), Monumental (video), NHL.com, Caps Fight Cancer]
• Former Cap John Druce returns to the Verizon Center tonight to take part in the ceremonial puck drop to honor his late daughter Courtney, who was only 27 when she lost her battle. [WaPo, NHL.com]
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday’s practice at Kettler:
• In general. [Monumental video (Trotz, Rinkside Update/Wilson)]
• Lineup changes may be in store for the Caps as Coach Trotz wants to get Daniel Winnik and Taylor Chorney some ice time. [WaPo, CSNMA]
• A few leftovers from Thursday night’s game against the Jets:
• By the numbers. [RMNB (and again)]
• Photos! [FiCP]
• Coach had a reason for top-line Wilson - size. Byfuglien shufflin’. [WashTimes]
• Jets coach Paul Maurice is still plenty salty about that TMM call. [Winnipeg Sun]
• The captain finds the positive in gaining the early advantage and then letting a team back in. [WashTimes]
• Marcus Johansson is off to a rocket of a start. [THW]
• Are Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom still as effective as a tandem? [THW]
• Point: Alex Ovechkin must win a Stanley Cup to cement his legacy. [ESPN]
• Counterpoint: The previous author is out of his freaking mind. And blind as a bat. And not worthy of writing about hockey ever again, since clearly he doesn’t understand the game. Or greatness. Or “legacy”, for that matter. [Puck Daddy]
• From this roundup of notes on Russian hockey, two items of note - (1) Ilya Samsonov saved 28 of 29 shots in regulation/OT but Russia lost 2-1 in the shootout to Finland, and (2) Dmitry Orlov’s KHL team Metallurg Novokuznetsk is in severe financial trouble and may cease operations at any time. [ddexpress.ru]
• Congrats to Caps prospect defenseman Colby Williams, whose first pro goal was the overtime gamewinner as Hershey defeated Springfield 3-2. [Chocolate Hockey]

• Road trip! The Caps’ former Fighting Sioux alums, TJ Oshie and Taylor Chorney, took advantage of the off-day in Winnipeg to drive 5 hours round-trip to Grand Forks. They visited with their old team as the newly-minted Fighting Hawks prepared to play their long-time nemesis the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. [WaPo]
• Finally, happy 45th birthday to Sergei Berezin and happy 53rd to Brian Curran.