Your savory breakfast links:
- “Backstrom‘s reluctance to shoot isn’t the reason the Caps’ power play has been scuffling. But it’s probably a reason…” [Rink]
- Previews of this evening’s fling with the Flyera from Vogs (plus game notes), NHL.com and Peerless, and be sure to check out Philly.com and our SB Nation pals over at Broad Street Hockey for the other side of tonight’s Rivalry Night on NBC matchup.
- Could this be a first-round playoff preview? [Caps Outsider, FiCP]
- We should know by morning skate if Dmitry Orlov gets a sweater or a press box seat tonight. [WaPo, CSNMA, NVC]
- Oh hai there Ray Emery. Wait, what? [Puck Daddy, Courier Post]
- Hello Presidents’ Trophy Mania, or not:
- The Verizon Center is stocked with commemorative t-shirts! Please don’t buy them. [DC Sports Bog, Puck Daddy, RMNB]
- The players are pleased that their season’s play earned them this hono(u)r but frankly, they are aiming higher… [WashTimes, USA Today]
- … oh, and they say aren’t the 2009-10 Caps either, thankyouverymuch. [CSNMA]
- Justin Williams‘ hair makes a cameo appearance in this in-depth Barry Trotz interview with Scott Burnside. [ESPN (audio)]
- Pending playoffs news and notes:
- Barry Trotz wanted to find out how to keep a team motivated when they’ve led the league in points since forever. So he asked some coaches who would know. Ultimately, it’s up to the players. [WaPo]
- Looking over the potential adversaries, here’s why the Rangers and Islanders could be preferred opponents… [WaPo]
- … and why the Flightless Fowl wouldn’t. [Fansided]
- Cal Clutterbuck totally wishes he played for the Caps right now, you guys. [CSNMA]
- Buy or sell – Roundtabling the question “Can the Caps springboard their Presidents’ Trophy season to a Stanley Cup?” [ESPN (video)]
- Never tell us the odds. But Vegas still likes the Caps. [SB Nation]
- Caps goaltending in the news:
- Braden Holtby can notch win number 47 tonight in Philadelphia, which would bring him to a single-season wins tie with Flyers legend Bernie Parent for second place all-time . [@PR_NHL]
- V is for Victory – Get to know Vitek Vanecek and the remarkable success he has had in nets for the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays. Since February 10, his stat line reads WWWWWWWWOWW and he has backstopped the Rays to the top of their division. [The Sin Bin]
- Ilya Samsonov and Metallurg Magnitogorsk are one win away from the Gagarin Cup Finals and are leading Salavat Yuraev three games to one. He’s mostly the understudy for number one goalie Vasily Koshechkin, but he did get a nod for a great save against Sibir in the second round. [KHL.ru (first save in the video)]
- New Caps prospect goalie Adam Carlson signed with the Caps yesterday, and now there are some more great stories plus this tremendous Periscope of him signing the contract and then pulling on an Ovechkin sweater. [Star Tribune, Along the Boards, Mercyhurst Athletics, and a nice read on him from his NAHL days]
- Where have all (or, in fact, any) of Alex Ovechkin’s assists gone? [Caps Outsider]
- Finally, happy 63rd birthday to Dennis Ververgaert, happy 45th to Jamie Heward and pour one out for Doug Wickenheiser, who would have been 55 today.