Your savory breakfast links:
- Brooks Orpik fought the law and the law won, with the NHL handing down a three-game suspension for his hit on Olli Maatta Saturday night. [Rink, WaPo, WashTimes, Post-Gazette (and
again), Tribune-Review, Pensburgh, SBN, TSS, CBS Sports, Puck Daddy, THW,
AP, StarsandSticks, RMNB, DSP, NoVa Caps] - Orpik’s (then-potential) suspension was one of a couple of things we were talking about yesterday. [Rink]
- Previews of tonight’s Game 3 from Vogs, NHL.com, AP, Caps Outsider, and as always, be sure to visit Pensburgh for the other side of things.
- Hear from a couple of Caps as they touch down in Pittsburgh. [Monumental video (Winnik, Johansson)]
- To this point, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have been relatively quiet; their performance could shift the balance of the series. [WashTimes]
- The heat is on between the Caps and Penguins, but it’s come in the form of questionable hits. [AP]
- With Orpik out through Game 5, Taylor Chorney will likely get more ice time and more work on the penalty kill, where he was very good Saturday night. [WaPo]
- Through two games, the Caps have not been themselves. So what’s the problem?
- They need more physicality. [WaPo]
- They need more desperation. [CSNMA, NoVa Caps]
- They need more from their second line. [WaPo, ESPN, NoVa Caps]
- They need more from their Russians. [NoVa Caps]
- They need more from their veterans and playoff performers. [StarsandSticks]
- They just need… more. [The Score, RMNB]
- A few leftovers from Game 2. [Dump ‘n Chase, CSNMA, Pensblog, Post-Gazette, THW]
- The Penguins were going nowhere this year until a coaching change turned things around. [WaPo]
- If he’s ready to go soon, Marc-Andre Fleury can wait until the Penguins dispose of the Caps. Here’s hoping he’s got all summer to recuperate. [Tribune-Review]
- Five years ago, a bad hockey night was overshadowed by a night of national triumph. [Puck Daddy]
- After being down 2-1 in their best-of-five series against Portland, the Bears came back to win last night and now move on to face… the Penguins. Nice symmetry. [Patriot-News (and again), Stuccio]
- Read about the hours leading up to and following the national championship title game for Caps’ prospect Shane Gersich and the UND hockey team. [Grand Forks Herald]