Your savory breakfast links:
- Previews of tonight’s dance with the Desert Dingoes from Vogs (plus game notes), NHL.com, Peerless and NVC, and be sure to check out our SB Nation pals over at Five For Howling for the other side of tonight’s matchup.
- The Yotes arrived in DC yesterday to prepare for a crucial five-game East Coast swing featuring some tough opponents, and the interview with goaltender Mike Smith and his kidlings is pretty cute. [AZ Central]
- Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was injured in Arizona’s last game, a loss to St. Louis. He is on the trip but his status for tonight is unknown. [TSS]
- Boyd Gordon is on injured reserve with UBI but is traveling with the team. [@DaveVest]
- The Week That Was, Volume 19. [Peerless, RMNB, NVC (and again), All About the Jersey (with the Metro lowdown)]
- Coach has been mixing up his lines a bit over the last couple games, keeping things fresh for his players and also keeping an eye out for new chemistry. [WaPo]
- How goes the Braden HoltbyVezina watch? [NVC]
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“What’s amazing about the play he makes behind the net is that he always keeps his momentum going,” Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie said. “He never stops. He’s going forward and somehow his hands and stick go behind him and somehow he makes a pass backwards. Sometimes that’s a dangerous play with a guy on you but he seems to always make it. As linemates you always have to be ready.” [CSNMA]
- When Brooks Orpik was out of the lineup for 40 games, Nate Schmidt stepped up. [NVC]
- What’s up with the Caps’ powerplay? Not much, lately. [WaPo]
- A few leftover’s from Saturday’s win vs. the Devils:
- Postgame notebook. [Dump-n-Chase]
- Harry Potter worked his magic on a young defense corps. [CBS DC]
- Here’s Justin Williams mic’d up for warmups. [CSNMA (video)]
- Oh hai there Angry John Carlson. Rawr. [RMNB]
- Here’s more details and pictures from the Caps’ charitable activities this weekend:
- On Friday, Carlson, Karl Alzner, Nick Backstrom, Orpik and their significant others hosted a fundraiser and memorial for a dear little three-year old girl who lost her battle with a rare brain cancer. [Friends in Cold Places]
- Also on Friday, Kettler was the site of Dreams for Kids DC, where kids with developmental and/or physical disabilities get to strap on some skates or a sled and snipe to their heart’s content. Tom Wilson and Taylor Chorney were on hand, as well of two of Japers’ Rink’s finest. Jason Rogers’ report runs later today.
- On Saturday, Kettler hosted Try Blind Hockey, in which students from the Maryland School for the Blind and other visually impaired people received instruction in skating and yes, playing hockey. [Friends in Cold Places]
- Prospect updates:
- All the Caps’ prospects need guidance as they embark on their pro careers, and Olie Kolzig is there in Hershey to provide it. [The AHL]
- Vitek Vanecek had some super-fresh threads for the South Carolina Stingrays game vs. the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The armor worked; the Rays took the 2-1 victory. The jersey will be available for auction bid beginning March 3. [Stingrays on Instagram, Caps Outsider]
- Ilya Samsonov gave a long and thoughtful interview about his World Junior experiences for his KHL team’s website. [NVC]
- Forward Kevin Elgestal was the final Capitals selection in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Earlier this season he was loaned by his SHL Frolunda club to HC Vita Hasten (White Horse) of the Allsvenskan. This past week he signed a two year contract with White Horse. [Frolunda]
- Get to know Shane Gersich. About that last question, kid, we’d like a word. [Grand Forks Herald]
- Thomas DiPauli helped out with a cute li’l kiddie clinic. [@NDFIA]
- Congrats are in order for Jacob Pivonka (son of Michal), Adam Samuelsson (son of Ulf), and Christian Krygier (son of Todd) as Team USA outmuscled Team Canada 5-2 for gold in the Youth Olympics in Lillehammer. [IIHF (Pivonka interview), IIHF (gamer), USA Hockey]
- Congrats are also in order for Alex Carpenter (daughter of Bobby), who is eyeing the end of her stellar collegiate career at Boston College and preparing for her pro career after being selected first overall by the New York Riveters in the first NWHL entry draft. [Boston Herald]
- Finally, happy 39th birthday to Patrick Boileau, happy 62ndt to Al Hangsleben, happy 44th to Jason Marshall and happy 50th to Joe Reekie.