Your savory breakfast links:
- Join Pepper and Russell for a season-wrapping edition of Japers’ Rink Radio tomorrow at 4:00 with special guest Alan May. Must-listen podcasting, that.
- Plenty of coverage of Breakdown (or is it Break-Up?) Day to get to, so let’s dive right in:
- George McPhee “expects” Bruce Boudreau to be back, doesn’t “think anything’s missing” and doesn’t “think [they] have to go outside the organization” to fix what’s ailing the team. [Caps365 (video), NHL.com (Masisak), DCEx (McNally), CSN Washington (O’Halloran)]
- Boudreau. [Caps365 (video)]
- Alex Ovechkin has been playing hurt for a couple of months (but is off to Slovakia to play at Worlds? Alexander Semin, not so much… ouch). [NHL.com (Masisak), CI (Carrera), CW (Whyno), PHT, Alex Ovetjkin, CRtC]
- Mike Knuble, Mike Green, John Carlson and Jason Arnott were also playing through injuries at the end of the post-season, Dennis Wideman was getting closer, and Tom Poti‘s career is in jeopardy. [CI (El-Bashir), CW (Whyno), DCEx (McNally), SB Nation DC]
- Nicklas Backstrom, on the other hand, wasn’t hurt… [SB Nation DC]
- … or was he? It would explain a lot. [CW (Whyno)]
- And it looks like another shoulder surgery for Eric Fehr. Brutal break for F16. Just brutal. [CI (Applebaum)]
- More general coverage of the day at KCI. [Dump ‘n Chase, WashTimes (Whyno), 106.7 The Fan (Kerstein), WashTimes (pics)]
- So GMGM said what he said about his head coach’s job security, but what’s everyone else saying?
- Keep him. [Craig Laughlin (via SB Nation DC), Globe and Mail (Duhatschek), CBC (Morrison), WashTimes (Snyder), PHT]
- Can him. [DCEx (Snider), Bourne’s Blog, Matt Barnaby (via SB Nation DC), OFB, FanHouse (Perez)]
- One vote for each. [CBC]
- And what’s the owner saying? [Ted’s Take, PHT]
- A roundup of other season-ending thoughts. [WaPo (Boswell), WashTimes (Daly), SI (Hackel), D.C. Sports Bog, CI (video), CSN Washington (video), Hard Hits, Puck Daddy, QMI (Longley), SB Nation DC, LA Times, PHT, HotH, Hockey Independent (Scriven), Box Seats (El-Alaily, Cooper, Weissman), 106.7 The Fan (Elfin), Puck Prospectus, Que Sera Sarah, Capitals News Network, Rink Rebel… and PensBlog’s Eulogy]
- A couple of glances at the Caps’ free-agents-to-be, some of whom have played their last games for Washington… [CI (Carrera), CSN Washington (O’Halloran), Frankovic]
- … including Arnott, who “undoubtedly will be gone.” [ESPN (Burnside)]
- A wish for next season. [Blonde Girl’s Guide]
- Carlson finishes fifth in Hockey’s Future’s Calder Poll… [HF]
- … whle Michal Neuvirth takes home RtR’s “Caps Conn Smythe.” [RtR]
- Prospect updates (courtesy Emily):
- Stan Galiev held off the board but Sea Dogs take Game One of the Q Finals. Firsthand report by Japers’ member Racin23 here.
- Brett Flemming had two assists, was on-ice for three goals-for and one four-on-three PP goal against, and finished plus-1. Also a 10-minute misconduct, somehow. The Majors pulled their usual crack the opponent like an egg in the second period thing; Owen Sound responded by jumping ugly and throwing bad hits, elbows and fists. The final was 6-2 Mississauga and the Majors are halfway home.
- “Any success the Ice enjoys can’t be talked about without mentioning Cody Eakin.”
- Oh, and Eakin’s got no time for friends this time of year. [CBC]
- Good on you all for raising $1,750 for “So Kids Can” this year. Awesome stuff. [FanPost]
- Finally, happy 61st birthday to Bob Gryp.
