Your savory breakfast links:
- Which D should QB the top PP? ICYMI, we’ve got the answer, FYI. [Rink]
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s way-too-close win from us, Vogs, Monumental video (Trotz, Holtby, Green, Niskanen, Honest Abe Kuznetsov), NHL.com, PHT, WaPo (gamer, blog), CSNW, Peerless, Frankovic, DSP (plus three stars), Stars and Sticks and RMNB.
- Step to Nicklas Backstrom, you’re stepping to the whole top line. [CSNW, PHT, RMNB]
- How about Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s night? [RMNB]
- More, from Elias: Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a goal for the Capitals in their game at Buffalo on Monday and he was the only player on either team to score in the shootout which earned Washington a 4-3 win over the Sabres. Kuznetsov has scored on five of his eight shootout attempts this season and he’s been successful on each of his last four tiebreaker shots. That matches the longest streak of consecutive shootout goals scored in the NHL this season. The other players who’ve scored on four straight shootout attempts are Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, the Islanders‘ Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo, and the Blues‘ Vladimir Tarasenko (whose streak is also current).
- Notes and assorted whatnot from pregame in McEichelville:
- In general. [Monumental video (Trotz, Two-Man Advantage), Vogs, WaPo, CSNW]
- Everyone was getting a kick out of the fact that Alex Ovechkin had more power-play goals than the Sabres on the season. [Puck Daddy, Eye on Hockey]
- Leftovers from the win over Boston:
- More on Backstrom’s record-breaking dish(es). [WaPo, Rink]
- Top-Line Tommy had a strong game against the Bruins (but was back to fourth-line first-rounder by the middle of the Buffalo game). [WaPo]
- Nate Schmidt‘s goal against the B’s was big. [WaPo]
- The Caps are shooting themselves in the foot by not shooting the puck more (well, except for you-know-who). [RMNB]
- Backstrom is awesome, Swedish and awesome at being Swedish. [CSNW]
- Braden Holtby and Olie Kolzig have a strong relationship (and one that’s going to get even stronger in the franchise’s record books). [CSNW]
- Another one-year extension for the Caps and Bears? That’s where the smart money is. [Patriot-News]
- Team tuck? [The Hockey Mom]
- Finally, happy 17th of March to Dick Patrick, Patrick McNeill, Patrick Koudys, Patrick Wey, Patrik Augusta, Patrick Boileau, Pat Elynuik, Patrice Lefebvre, Craig Patrick, Pat Peake, Pat Ribble and Pat Riggin.