Your savory breakfast links:
- Recaps of last night’s win over the ‘Canes from us, Vogs, Monumental video (Trotz, Beagle, Grubauer, Niskanen, highlights), NHL.com, AP, WaPo, CSNMA, Frankovic, DSP, Friends in Cold Places, RMNB, NoVa Caps, StarsandSticks, Peerless, News & Observer, and Canes Country.
- Some big blocked shots in the final minute of regulation last night helped preserve the win. [WaPo]
- Via Elias: The Capitals parlayed goals by Michael Latta and Jason Chimera and 31 saves from Philipp Grubauer into a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Washington has the best record in the NHL this season (25-6-2) and a big part of the reason for that is the Caps’ league-best 9-6-2 mark in games in which they scored no more than two goals. No other NHL team has even a .500 record in such games this season.
- These aren’t the same soul-crushing Capitals you once knew. Time to be optimistic. [WaPo]
- Know why? Because the Caps are pretty darn good, or at least that’s what a lot of smart people around the League are starting to think. [Today’s Slapshot, TSN.ca (audio)]
- Many congrats to T.J. Oshie, who becomes the third Cap this year to be one of the NHL’s stars of the week after capturing this week’s Second Star. [Caps, Rink, NHL.com, WaPo, CSNMA, RMNB, DSP]
- Who’s up, who’s down, who’s hot, who’s not, and other analysis from the week that was. [Rink, NoVa Caps, StarsandSticks]
- Alex Ovechkin takes a slew of shots, but a lot of them miss the mark. Is it possible to coach accuracy? [Hockey Graphs]
- A few leftovers from Sunday’s big comeback. [Dump ‘n Chase, BSB]
- Rank ’em! [Rink]
- Two nights after getting pulled for the first time this season, Braden Holtby was close to having it happen yet again – until he, like his team, rallied. [WaPo, RMNB]
- Tom Wilson was Holtby’s knight in shining armor when New York’s resident goon, Tanner Glass, started going after the goaltender. [CSNMA]
- Hey, look, it’s Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club bandwagon! [TMZ]
- With Brooks Orpik out long-term, the Caps have made a pleasant discovery about the abilities of one Nate Schmidt… [NHL.com]
- …so what happens to Schmidt when Orpik returns? [NoVa Caps]
- Just 33 games into the season, the Caps have already passed the halfway mark to 100 points. Which is pretty unreal. [Pressbox DC]
- Looking back at Bruce Boudreau’s past to find answers to his present-day team’s issues. [Anaheim Calling]
- Holtby is probably the frontrunner (for now, at least) for this year’s Vezina Trophy. [The Score]
- News and notes from yesterday’s pregame non-skate. [Dump ‘n Chase, Monumental video (Trotz)]
- A roundup of all the minor league chatter. [LD News]
- Ovechkin’s woolly new pet checks in on a list of the best pop culture hockey moments of the year. [Puck Daddy]
- All you may want for Christmas is your two front teeth, but what about the NHL teams? [Puck Drunk Love]