More photos » by John Ulan - AP

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Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's big comeback win from Corey (blog, article), Tarik (blog, article), Vogs, Peerless, Washington Examiner, Cult of Hockey and The Copper and Blue.
  
• Alex Ovechkin "might come across as a rodeo clown" at times (per a guy who's from a town that knows rodeo), but let the rest of the world underestimate his intelligence at their peril. [Edmonton Journal]
• Amidst the AO media blitz that has engulfed the team for the past few days, it's good to see Nicklas Backstrom get some well deserved ink (err, pixels). [Edmonton Sun]
• Did I mention the AO media blitz? [Edmonton Sun]
• Reunited and it feels so good... since the Caps got the win. [Washington Times]
• Tom Poti calls Alex Burrows a diver... post-game, where he can't get the additional two minutes for unsportsmanlike (i.e. where such comments belonged). [Canwest]
• "Sources say" that if Atlanta decides to deal Ilya Kovalchuk, the Caps will be among the half-dozen teams most aggressively pursuing a trade for the Russian superstar. [Ottawa Sun]
• Hey, have you heard the one about how the Caps have crappy defensemen and lousy goaltending? [The Hockey News]
• Given the last bullet point, it's pretty incredible that the Caps are 11th in the League in team GAA and give up the 12th-fewest shots per game, isn't it?
• Finally, happy 59th birthday to Bill Clement (and his hands of cement).

Tonight's probable netminders:

Have at it, people.

More photos » by Darryl Dyck - AP

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Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's loss from Corey (blog), Tarik (blog, article), Vogs, Peerless, OFB and Joe B.
  
• Preview of tonight's Caps/Oilers game from NHL.com, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner The Copper & Blue for the very best coverage from the other side of tonight's match up.
• For the second consecutive Saturday night, the Caps will play the back-end of a back-to-back on the road against a rested team. Sweet.
• Btw, I'll be on 1500 AM's pre-game show with Jonathan Warner this evening around 6:30 talking pucks with the host and blogging luminaries Eric McErlain and John Keeley. Check it out.
• Alex Ovechkin coming to town is "a watershed event" in Edmonton. [Edmonton Sun]
• And the only thing "wrong" with AO is that he's not Canadian. [The Province]
• The Caps are more than just one player. Who knew? [NHL.com]
• Decade retrospective stuff from ESPN, leading with its best players of the decade (in no particular order, but with the game's current best player first). [ESPN]
• A look at the latest Hershey recall-done-good, Kyle Wilson. [Washington Times]
• Congrats to Arturs Irbe, who's to be enshrined in the IIHF Hall of Fame. [Capitals]
• Allan Muir on whether the Caps will re-sign Alexander Semin after this season: probably nyet. [SI]
• A look at the "O" the Caps are getting from their "D." Get well soon, Potsy. [Peerless]
• Only two goalies in the League have faced a lower percentage of their shots against while on the penalty kill than Jose Theodore. [Puck Prospectus]
• Jim Kelley weighs in on the David Koci hit. Not sure what his point is. [SI]
• Adriant Dater is slightly more coherent on the matter. [All Things Avs]
• Another "no" vote/prediction for Mike Green's inclusion on Team Canada... [NHL.com]
• ... despite Bruce Boudreau's lobbying and Green himself playing the "I know Ovi's tricks" card. [The Province]
• As it stands now, the Caps have a 45% chance of winning a playoff series against Pittsburgh, according to nerds. [Puck Prospectus]
• Finally, happy 39th birthday to Robert Lang.

Tonight's probable netminders:

Have at it, people.

via the shoebox next to my desk

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Your savory breakfast links:

• Previews of tonight's rare visit to Vancouver from Vogs, CSN Washington, the CP, and NHL.com, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Nucks Misconduct for coverage from the other side of tonight's match up.
• The Caps are 5-2-1 all-time in Vancouver on Fridays and won their only Friday road match-up between the teams in December (back in 1979), so they're pretty much a lock tonight.
• Alex Ovechkin is an absolute rock star in Vancouver. [Kelowna.com, and again]
  
• He's also "hockey's most exciting and engaging player" (narrowly edging out Jeff Schultz for those honors). [Vancouver Sun]
• The Canucks are ready for the challenge of stopping him (Ovechkin, not Schultz, whom they know better than to think they can stop. [Kelowna.com, and again]
• David Koci walks. Ridiculous. [FanShot]
• One thought on how to prevent the next cheapshot: don't put yourself in a position to be cheap-shotted. [Ed Frankovic's Blog]
  
• Really nice piece on Brendan Morrison's comeback season. [TSN (video), h/t @nateewell]
• Despite the infrequency with which the Caps play there, Vancouver is familiar turf for many in the organization. [Washingotn Times]
• Read yesterday's news today at the Washington Post. If you don't get it... eh. [WaPo]
  
• SI's Pictures of the Year feature contains an entry featuring the Caps (and no, it's not this one). [SI]
• Several Caps talk rookie dinner. [Caps365 (video)]
• Tim Gleason on AO: "I hit him so hard, but it didn’t really move him. He’s a solid human being." [Canes Country]
• If it's possible for both teams to lose a trade, the Caps and Pens sure did with the Jaromir Jagr deal. [Puck Daddy]
• Speaking of trades, Corey has thrown together a shopping list. [In The Room]
• One more trade-related note: the Caps aren't about to trade the problem contract they just got out from under for someone else's problem contract. [Hockey Or Die!]
• Not sure how I missed this one, but as of a week ago, Mike Green was Canada's top-rated blueliner... [CTV]
• ... and as of this week, Nicklas Backstrom is the game's third-rated pivot. [CTV]
• Worried about how participating in the Olympics might impact a player's NHL production thereafter? Don't be. [Behind the Net]
• Alexandre Giroux vs. Mike Duco II: American League style. [Patriot-News]
• John Carlson's still getting rave reviews in Hershey. [John Walton Hockey]
• Dmitri Orlov and Dmitry Kugryshev have both made Russia's WJC squad. [Russian Hockey Fans]
• Finally, happy 37th birthday to Jeff Nelson, happy 58th to Bernie Wolfe, and happy 64th to Jean Pronovost.

via the shoebox next to my desk

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Your savory breakfast links:

• Mike Green skated yesterday, looked "none the worse for wear," and expects to play tomorrow, but the debate as to whether or not the Caps need an enforcer rages on. [Washington Post]
• A couple more takes on David Koci's hit from Puck Daddy, Peerless and Hockey Or Die!
• Craig MacTavish thinks that Bruce Boudreau was mean-spirited when he belittled Koci's skill-set. Seriously. [TSN]
• "For their rookie dinner in October 2006, David Steckel and Jeff Schultz dressed up as the two main characters from 'Blades of Glory,' Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy." Pretty sure that's my new favorite story ever. [In The Room]
  
• Alex Ovechkin: Caveman. Villain. Whatever. [Denver Post]
• Karl Alzner has come home. [Washington Times]
• Brendan Morrison, too (in more ways than one). [Kelowna.com]
• James Duthie has Green being on the outside looking in on Team Canada (btw, on December 17, 2008, Green had eight goals - two more than he has right now - not twenty). [CTV (at 2:10, 2:54)]
• "Being Alex Ovechkin" is not nearly as entertaining as "Being John Malkovich," which is ironic, as being Alex Ovechkin is almost certainly more fun than being John Malkovich. [The Hockey News]
• The Caps' Russian trio hung out with a fellow Russian - and a top-10 women's tennis player, at that - last week. [Sony Ericsson WTA Tour]
• Caps' radio voice Steve Kolbe "enjoys fishing and archery." If that means he shoots fish with a compound bow, he's my new hero. [PressBox]
• Cody Eakin and Stefan Della Rovere will have to wait a little longer to play a game as teammates - the former was cut from Team Canada's WJC squad yesterday. [CBC]
• More on Delly. [SLAM!]
• John Carlson gets ready to represent the red, white and blue. [London Free Press]
• Happy 44th birthday to Craig Berube and happy 51st to Dave Poulin.
• Finally, we've obviously disagreed with some of Jim Kelley's recent musings, but we wish him nothing but the very best of luck in his battle with pancreatic cancer.

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

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Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's win from Corey (blog, article), Tarik (blog, article), Vogs, Joe B., CSN Washington, WashEx, Ed Frankovic, Fight for Old DC, Denver Post (gamer and blog) and Mile High Hockey (rather succinct).
• On the David Koci hit. [FanHouse]
• Seems a good time to revisit this post on team toughness from a few weeks back.
• At some point you start to wonder whether sheer ignorance will cost Semyon Varlamov Calder votes. [FanHouse]
• Some more new power rankings are out, with the Caps up one to third at CBC.
• Another interesting look at the crapshoot that is drafting goalies. [TSN]
• Stephen Peat vs. P.J. Stock: your NHL fight of the decade. [Puck Daddy]
• A rare Michael Nylander AHL rookie card unearthed. [FanPost]
• These third jersey mock-ups look awful to me. I mean, an "A" on the #28 sweater? Ewww. [Rock The Red.net]
• John Erskine has a new nickname (and no, it's not Fourskine). [Fight For Old DC]
• Maybe no one will win the Cup this year. [Orland Kurtenblog]
• If Cody Eakin ends up not making Team Canada this winter, there's still a chance (gasp!) that he might become a decent hockey player. [CBC]
• Another "Gabby" review. [Sky Sports]
• Speaking of Gabby, per the HHoF, on this date back in 1977, "Bruce Boudreau scored the only hat trick of his NHL career, and Borje Salming added five assists as the Toronto Maple Leafs won 8-5 against the North Stars, at Minnesota."
• Finally, again per the HHoF, on this date back in 2003, "Washington rookie Maxim Ouellet, playiing in his first NHL game in three seasons, made 37 saves to record his first career shutout, and Robert Lang scored twice and added two assists as the Capitals won 5-0 against the Thrashers at Atlanta." And by "first," they mean "only."

Tonight's probable netminders:

Have at it, people.