Your savory breakfast links:
Ticket punched to the 2016 #StanleyCup Playoffs. See you April 13, @washcaps. pic.twitter.com/bJtmgnNJFo
— NHL (@NHL) March 16, 2016
- X marks the spot: An overtime point and then Alex Ovechkin‘s 17th career OTGWG secured the Capitals‘ (first-in-the-League!) berth in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s win from us, Vogs, Monumental video (Trotz, Ovechkin, Holtby, Kuznetsov, Johansson, Rinkside Update/Chimera), NHL.com, AP, WaPo, CSNMA (gamer, rewind), DSP, Frankovic, Peerless, S&S, NoVa Caps, FiCP and RMNB, and from the visitors’ bench, Cardiac Canes and Canes Country.
- Congrats are in order for Braden Holtby. His 42nd win of the season lifted him to the top of the Caps’ all-time single-season goalie leaderboard. [WaPo, RMNB, Caps Outsider, [@OlieKolzig37]
- “Good goal.” Or “good” goal. Or good “goal.” Ovechkin’s overtime gamewinner was reviewed by the NHL, and was determined to be legit. Some folks remain unconvinced. [NHL.com, Canes Country]
- All Beagle, all the time. [CSNMA]
- Notes and assorted whatnot from the pregame skate:
- When the lines changed – and if they needed to. Our own Kevin Klein wrote about Trotz’ forward line makeover and then he went on Caps Radio 24/7 to chat with John Walton about it. [Rink, Rink on the Radio (audio)]
- Four reasons this year’s Caps will make a Cup run. [ESPN $]
- Ma and Pa Ovechkin are busy packing to come Stateside for the playoffs, but first they made a stop at an orphanage near Moscow with coats, shoes, sports equipment and other gifts courtesy of the Gr8. He’s promised to come for a visit sometime this summer. [NVC]
- Congrats to Caps goalie prospect Vitek Vanecek , named the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Week. [Caps Outsider]
- Not precisely Caps related, but Bauer Hockey’s parent company has to answer some questions about its earnings. [NY Post]
- Nate Schmidt is the king of cornhole. Because of course he is. [CSNMA]
- Finally, happy 45th birthday to David Harlock, happy 34th to Louis Robitaille and happy 38th to Brian Willsie, and today would’ve been Roger Crozier‘s 74th, so pour a little oWednesday Caps Clips: The Clincheninut for a guy who played three games and coached one for the Caps.