The Caps lost a valiant effort to the L.A. Kings on Thursday night. On Saturday they’ll try to right the ship of a very long homestand against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who now rule the roost of the Metro. It’ll be a goalie battle, with two of the league’s very best going head to head, except there will be like 180 feet between their heads.

The game’s at 7 PM on NBCSNWACHOAM, and CFTC will be your host for the evening.

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Record	17-8-1	14-11-1
Shot Attempt %	53.0%	48.1%
PDO	101.1	100.9
Power Play	9.3%	20.2%
Penalty Kill	84.8%	77.8%

Projected Lines

Brett Connolly returns to service as Graovac sits. From the great Isabelle Khurshudyan:

Ovechkin – Backstrom – Wilson
Vrana – Kuznetsov – Oshie
Stephenson – Eller – Connolly
DSP – Beagle – Chiasson

Orlov – Niskanen
Orpik – Carlson
Djoos – Bowey

Holtby

Big Bad Lumbus

With eight wins in their last ten games, the Blue Jackets have seized the Metropolitan Division lead from the New Jersey Devils. Driving the bus for the Blooj is their top line of Artemi Panarin, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Josh Anderson. They’ve only played together for the last two weeks or so, but they’ve been dominant – possessing about 65 percent of the on-ice shot attempts but only breaking even in goals due to some atrocious backup goaltending (86.2 percent recently). I expect Orlov and Niskanen to see a lot of this trio tonight, and I suspect they’re up to the assignment. But it’ll be tough with Sergei Bobrovsky in net, who has been superb so far this year.

5v5 save percentages so far this season. pic.twitter.com/SNGgoGfPZo

— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) December 1, 2017

Storylines

• Forward Nathan Walker was claimed on the waiver wire by the Edmonton Oilers. Walker, the NHL’s first Australian player, issued a lovely thank-you to the Caps org for giving him the opportunity.
• With Sergei Bobrovsky (.935 save percentage) in net vs Braden Holtby (.919), it’s a battle of the last two Vezina winners. Whyno has a good thread of quotes from Caps peeps about facing off against Bob.

Lars Eller on Bobrovsky: "He's very athletic. He can be out of position sometimes and he will do some acrobatic move where he still gets an arm out or he gets a leg out. I think his athletic ability is probably some of the best I've seen."

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) December 2, 2017

• Friday was a good night for ex-Caps. Justin Williams scored his 700th point, Marcus Johansson returned to the Devils after a month on IR,  Nate Schmidt got an assist, and Matt Hendricks scored.
• The Caps lost on Thursday, but it was a dang fine effort from the top six. Evgeny Kuznetsov might have had the finest game of his career.
• Nick Backstrom hasn’t scored in 19 games.
• There’s a new RMNB podcast today, plus Peter was on episode 69 of Japers Rink Radio.
• You can vote for a some Caps to be ASG captain right now.
• Ed’s got your zebra beat, and uh oh:

Dan O’Rourke and Ranger Dan O’Halloran are your zebras for Caps-Blue Jackets tonight at 7 pm at Capital One Arena.

— Ed Frankovic (@EdFrankovic) December 2, 2017

Favrits of 2017

I’m asking the RMNB folks to use this space at the bottom of pregames to share their faves of 2017 for the rest of the month. Hopefully you’ll share your faves with us too in comments.

I’ll start with my favorite album of 2017, Can You Please Not Help by Two Inch Astronaut.

I love so much about this band and this record. Producer J. Robbins (of Jawbox) has a deft but light touch on the sound, which lets the band explore their influences – including but not limited to some seminal DC guitar bands of the 1990s. If I were still 13 years old, I’d be a cult member for this band, but I’m an adult so instead I’m just enthralled by them, telling everyone I know to check them out.

So check them out.

Full Coverage of Caps vs Blue Jackets