In case you forgot, the Caps clinched a playoff spot Tuesday night. If you’re happy and/or unsurprised and you know it, clap your hands.

Tonight, the Caps face stiffer competition in a hungry Preds team. The Preds are chilling comfortably in the West’s first Wild Card spot. Alas, a recent string of wins has them eyeing up the Blackhawks’ third-place slot in the Central Division.

7 PM. CSN-DC. It’s gonna be lit.

Projected Lineup

Per Katie Brown:

Ovechkin – Backstrom – Beagle
Burakovsky – Kuznetsov – Oshie
Chimera – Johansson – Williams
Winnick – Richards – Wilson

Alzner – Niskanen
Orpik – Orlov
Schmidt – Chorney

Holtby

Be Prepared to Roll Your Eyes

It’s Friday. Your bracket is already ruined because Yale beat Baylor on Thursday. What’s even more nauseating is the reminder that grown adults actually wear Sperrys of their own volition.

https://twitter.com/KerithBurke/status/710579901775138816

Storylines

• John Carlson is skating for the first time post-surgery.
• The Orpik-Orlov duo might be better than you think.
• Say hello to the new faces of the penalty kill.
• Barry Trotz has laid out his master plan for Evgeny Kuznetsov.
• Braden Holtby needs seven more wins to break yet another record.
• Here’s another ridiculous Ovechkin stat to add to your collection.
• Slow starts are bad, the Caps need to eliminate them, and water is wet.
• Former Caps (including your fave Michal Neuvirth) are unsurprised by the current squad’s success.
• Alert: one of the DC Eagles hatched!
• The KHL is moving forward with plans to add a Chinese team next season.

Do It, Try It

M83 is fantastique, as is their new song. (It also feels oddly appropriate re: #TopLineBeagle.)

Full RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Predators