Your savory breakfast links:
- Previews of tonight’s Caps-Islanders battle from Vogs, NHL.com, AP, Peerless, NoVa Caps, Caps Outsider and FiCP, and be sure to visit our SB Nation pals over at Lighthouse Hockey for the other side of tonight’s matchup.
- The Caps will be facing a banged-up Islanders team trying to hang on to a playoff spot. [LHH (and again)]
- Braden Holtby is just one win away from tying Martin Brodeur’s record. Hold on to your butts, kids. [WashTimes, AP, NoVa Caps]
- News and notes from yesterday’s practice out at Kettler:
- In general. [Monumental video (Trotz, Johansson, Backstrom, Rinkside Update/Ovechkin)]
- Nicklas Backstrom is slowly returning to health, and should be back this week… but they’re not going to rush him. [WaPo, CSNMA (and again), WashTimes]
- Lately the puck just isn’t going into the net for the Caps. They’re not worried, though. [WaPo]
- With just one week to go, the Caps are already excited for the playoffs to start. [WTOP]
- Barry Trotz also had some thoughts on the playoffs as his team gets geared up for a run. [NoVa Caps]
- More on the week that was for the Caps. [TSS]
- 10 things no one predicted would happen for the 2015-16 NHL season. [ESPN]
- This last week of regular-season play contains some teams you just love to hate – and teams that are tough to beat. [CSNMA, FiCP]
- Five bold playoff predictions. [StarsandSticks]
- Tom Wilson: Bust? [RMNB]
- Relive the scrap between Nate Schmidt (yes, that Nate Schmidt) and Max Domi in Saturday’s loss to the ‘Yotes. [Caps Outsider]
- Updates from down on the farm:
- Recapping the week that was for the Bears… [NoVa Caps, Caps Outsider]
- …and the Stingrays. [Caps Outsider]
- Congrats to Vitek Vanecek, who was named the ECHL Goaltender of the Month for March. [NoVa Caps]
- Some people will go so far as to strip half-naked in a parking garage for a Backstrom autograph. We won’t judge. [Puck Daddy]
- Remember when Brodeur complained about Ovechkin’s mirrored visor? Get a glimpse behind the scenes at the debate that ensued all those years ago. [RMNB]
- Finally, congrats to the USWNT – and bench boss Ken Klee – on their overtime victory over Canada to capture the gold at the World Championships last night. U-S-A! [Sportsnet, The Hockey House]