Your savory breakfast links:
- Caps/Flyers breakdown. [Rink]
- Get to know… Jakub Voracek . [Rink]
- Get to know… Brayden Schenn . [Rink]
- Projected lineups for both teams. [CSNMA]
- These teams have some history, y’know. [NVC]
- The team is embracing its expectations. They intend to win out. [USA Today, RMNB]
-
… and the table is set for the feast. [Frankovic]
- ESPN reporter Britt McHenry rode along with Alex Ovechkin as he went to a recent practice and then went home to pick up his gear for a road trip. They talked about his meetings with Kobe Bryant and Wayne Gretzky, and about that elusive championship. [ESPN (video)]
-
-
Scouting reports and previews:
- Why the Flyera will win Lord Stanley’s Cup: “The Philadelphia Flyers shifted into Stanley Cup Playoff mode long before the actual postseason started. High-pressure games were the norm in the final weeks of the season, and because of that no team is better equipped to win the Stanley Cup than the Flyers, who will deliver a championship to their title-starved city in June…
Coach Dave Hakstol has had ups and down in his first NHL season, but playoff-type games haven’t fazed him so far. During the past six weeks, high-intensity games have become the norm for the Flyers, and they’ve thrived in that situation.” [NHL.com]
- Why the Caps will win Lord Stanley’s Cup: “The Capitals will win the Stanley Cup this season because more than a decade into the Ovechkin era, they finally have every piece in place to get the job done. An inability to get past the second round with previous teams can be attributed to flaws in each of those editions. The Capitals have no flaws this season. Washington’s core group checks off every box a championship team needs.” [NHL.com]
- Ten burning questions. [THN]
- Five bold predictions. [USA Today]
- Watchability factor: High. [CBS Sports, Sporting News]
- Washington / Philly previews. [NHL.com, theScore]
- The Caps will be fine in the first round. [NVC]
- Caps are more “hybrid” than “heavy.” [WaPo]
- Caps’ X-Factor: Justin Williams. [NHL.com]
- Flyers X-Factor: Jakub Voracek. [NHL.com]
- Barring any “setbacks”, Jay Beagle is expected to be available to play on Thursday. [WaPo]
- Predictions:
- Caps in 5. [ESPN $, B/R, Vavel.com, CSNMA]
- Caps in 6. [CBS Sports, TSN.ca]
- Caps in 7. [USA Today]
- Caps in general. [NHL.com (video)]
- All of ESPN picks the Caps… [ESPN]
- … and Flyersbloggers couldn’t be happier. [Crossing Broad]
- Why the Flyera will win Lord Stanley’s Cup: “The Philadelphia Flyers shifted into Stanley Cup Playoff mode long before the actual postseason started. High-pressure games were the norm in the final weeks of the season, and because of that no team is better equipped to win the Stanley Cup than the Flyers, who will deliver a championship to their title-starved city in June…
-
Players to watch:
- Justin Williams – Mr. Game 7, Mr. Perfect, and a hell of a leader in the room. [WaPo, RMNB]
- Alex Ovechkin, because Alex Ovechkin. [ESPN]
- If you’re looking to round out a fantasy roster, Mike Richards could be a good choice. [Sportsnet.ca]
- Nate Schmidt is making his hometown fans happy too. [WJON]
- Braden Holtby has added a new Holtbyism to his gameday routine – a half hour playing his guitar. [SI.com]
Ed Snider brought incredible passion to the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers and the city of Philadelphia. Since shepherding the Flyers into the NHL in 1967, Ed was exemplar of competitiveness, and it was evident in how his teams played. As a fellow owner, I appreciated Ed’s wisdom, insight and perspective, but his commitment to philanthropy, youth hockey and growing the game is a standard for all of us. He will be missed but never forgotten; he has created an everlasting legacy.
.@NHLFlyers flag @ half staff outside Wells Fargo Center in memory of founder Ed Snider’s passing. @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/ScnuGaJUty
— Brandon Hudson (@BHudTV) April 11, 2016