Wednesday Caps Clips: Capitals @ Panthers Game 5 Game Day

Daily Washington Capitals news and notes: The Caps head back to the Sunshine State for a pivotal Game 5, special teams continue to roll but the Caps need to win the battle at evens, and more.

Your savory breakfast links:

• Three things we were talking about yesterday when we were talking about the Capitals. [Rink]
• Previews of tonight’s Game 5 from Vogs, NBCSW, AP, and NHL, and as always be sure to swing by our SB Nation pals over at Litter Box Cats for the other side of this series.
• He may have ended up with the loss Monday night, but Ilya Samsonov’s performance was a good sign for the Caps. [NBCSW]
• Panthers coach Andrew Brunette made a small adjustment to his defensive corps last game, and it paid off big time. [Miami Herald]
• Still, the Caps are proving to be quite the pesky opponent for the Panthers. Here’s why. [Sportsnet]
• News and notes from yesterday’s practice, including the update that Tom Wilson is headed to Florida. To play or just be a very handsome spectator? We’ll see. [Caps video (Laviolette, Schultz), WHN]
• The Caps’ special teams may have dominated so far… [WaPo]
• …but it’s their performance at five on five that will probably determine this series. [NBCSW]
• They’ll still need those special teams to stay hot, though, because officials are cracking down (sort of) and calling more (and sometimes even correct) penalties. [WashTimes]
• A few leftovers from that ill-fated Game 4. [Caps, S&S, THW, RMNB, Caps Outsider, LBC]
• It appears that T.J. Oshie has (probably correctly) avoided any discipline for his hit on Sam Bennett Monday night. [PHT]
• Breaking down some of the many storylines and takeaways peppering a very interesting opening round. [The Score, ESPN]
• Do the Caps have the durability needed for a long playoff run? That and more questions answered – or at least guessed at. [WaPo]
• Now that the Hershey Bears have hit the links for the summer, it’s time to start picking out some Black Aces. [WHN]
• Starting in Game 3, a dessert robot – yup – has been spotted delivering sweet treats to fans at Capital One Arena. Which is amazing. [Eater]
• Finally, happy 53rd birthday to Todd Nelson, and happy 27th to Brian Pinho!

Let’s do this, babes.