Friday Caps Clips: An Unholy Alliance

Your sparkly all-star links:

• The Mystery of Anthony Mantha continues, but perhaps there’s a clue in another big, French-Canadian forward out in Calgary. [Rink]
• Be sure to tune in tonight to watch the All-Star Skills Competition, which is definitely the best part of these weekends. Should be a fun one. [NHL, S&S]
• So Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are apparently putting together something for the Breakaway Challenge. Strange things are afoot at the Circle K, y’all... [NHL]
• (But seriously this is delightful on so many levels.)
• Checking in with the big man at yesterday’s media day. [Caps video (one-on-one, media day)]
• Nicklas Backstrom is looking more and more like himself thanks to hip resurfacing surgery. Here’s how he became a believer. [WaPo]
• The Caps headed into the break... well, a little off. [NoVa Caps]
• The trade deadline is now exactly one month away, and as it draws closer, the Caps are believed to be in the market for a blueliner. Who might they be targeting? [WHN]
• They might also take a look at Minnesota’s Matt Dumba. [THW]
• Caps’ forward prospect Alexander Suzdalev is figuring out how to play on North American rinks with the Regina Pats, and it’s going pretty darn well so far. [SaskToday]
• Happy 55th birthday to Frantisek Kucera, happy 35th to Peter LeBlanc, and happy 32nd to Chris Brown!
• Finally, this looks like it’s going to be straight fire.