Wednesday Caps Clips: Declawing the Cats

Your savory breakfast links:

• We break down the first-round series with the Panthers and make some predictions for its outcome in the latest Rink Roundtable. [Rink]
• Get to know more of the Panthers (including a few you probably saw a bit too much of last night). [Rink (Bennett, Reinhart, Forsling, Duclair, Weegar)]
• A look at the Caps’ lines and defensive pairings, and how they can best be maximized for this series. [Rink]
• Three things we were talking about yesterday when we were talking about the Caps. [Rink]
• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s Game 1 win from us, Vogs, Caps video (Laviolette, Oshie, Kuznetsov, recap), Panthers, NHL, AP, WaPo, NBCSW, Sun-Sentinel, Peerless, WHN, NoVa Caps, RMNB, and Caps Outsider.
• There was a wee bit of the 2018 Caps in last night’s win, wasn’t there? [NBCSW]
• After numerous questions surrounding the Caps’ goaltending situation, Vitek Vanecek outdueled Sergei Bobrovsky in last night’s game. [NBCSW]
• It wasn’t all good news, as Tom Wilson scored a goal but then was injured and left the game after playing just a few minutes. John Carlson also left later in the game. Ugh. [ESPN, The Score]
• Previews of the Caps-Panthers series, as the good guys look to win their first playoff series in 4 years. [WaPo (and again)]
• The Caps, fueled by recent post-Cup disappointments, are hoping their experience propels them past their underdog status. [Caps]
• The top three reasons why the Caps will pull off the upset over the Cats. [S&S]
• Evgeny Kuznetsov is carrying his Kuzy-ness right into the playoffs, and thank goodness. [WHN]
• News and notes from yesterday’s pregame skate, where the Caps got their captain back and Laviolette announced his Game 1 starter. [Caps]
• So what went into Laviolette’s selection of Vitek Vanecek as his playoff goalie (for now)? [WHN]
• More predictions about the opening round of the postseason. [S&S, Pensburgh]
• With an aging core, is this year’s playoff run the end of an era for the Capitals? That and more questions answered in yesterday’s Post chat. [WaPo]
• Good guy Garnet Hathaway continues his support of first responders, with he and wife Lindsay raising funds for the Baltimore City Fire Foundation. [CBS Baltimore]