Wednesday Caps Clips: Capitals vs. Islanders Game 1 Game Day

Your playoff-opening links:

• The Japers’ Rink Radio crew is joined by Chris Watkins to break down the first round. [Rink]
• Buckle up, it’s time for the preview to end all previews (or at least to kick them off). [Rink]
• Get reacquainted with former Caps’ netminder Semyon Varlamov. [Rink]
• Previews of Game 1 between the Caps and Islanders from Vogs, Caps, Islanders, WaPo, NBCSW, AP, ESPN, Capitals Outsider, and THW.
• This year’s playoffs are going to be weird, wacky and unlike anything we’ve seen before. Buckle up. [WaPo]
• Two weeks after celebrating a Stanley Cup win with the Capitals, Barry Trotz had departed from the organization - now they face him in the playoffs. [StarsandSticks]
• They may not want it to be Todd Reirden vs. Barry Trotz, but that coaching battle will certainly define at least part of this series. [WashTimes, USA Today]
• Having been quarantined for the last four days (and off the ice for a week), Lars Eller is sitting out Game 1; John Carlson, however, is a gametime decision. [NBCSW, NHL]
• Get the New York state of mind on the series ahead from the Isles (keys, forwards, defense/goalies), NY Post, Newsday (and again), and THW, and of course, be sure to check in with our SB Nation pals over at Lighthouse Hockey today and throughout the series. (Play nice!)
• Storylines for each of the 16 opening-round series. [The Score]
• Looking at the most impressive player for each team since the NHL’s restart. [the Score]
• Is the Islanders’ window to win... now? [Newsday]
• Bandwagon-hoppers and fans of jettisoned teams, step right up! [BSB, OtF]
• With Trotz’s defensive system in place, the Caps will need their offensive stars to be firing on all cylinders. [NBCSW]
• Ilya Kovalchuk’s former Devil teammates are rooting for him to finally get that Cup. [NJ.com]
• Hear from the boys after their final day of practice before the fun gets underway. [Caps video (Reirden, Jensen/Hathaway, Kovalchuk, Rinkside Update/Hathaway)]
• Our pal Alan May predicts that the Caps wrap this series up in seven... but only if John Carlson is back in the lineup. [NBCSW]
• Hockey has a long way to go, but has made some strides when it comes to addressing racism - and the Caps’ new initiatives are helping to lead the way. [AP]
• Please to be enjoying Brenden Dillon mic’d up. [Caps video]
• Scheduling Alert: Thanks to an epic five-overtime series opener between the Lightning and Jackets, last night’s Bruins-’Canes Game 1 is now this morning. Regulation, please. [NHL]
• Happy 37th birthday to Jiri Novotny.
• Go time.