By denying the New Jersey Devils a point in game 82 (and by virtue of Nashville’s win over Columbus tonight), the Washington Capitals have earned the right to play the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This will be the first time these franchises have met in the postseason.

First Round@BlueJacketsNHL @Capitals
It's a date.#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/dOSCuz1QEX

— NHL (@NHL) April 8, 2018

The Caps won three of four games against the Jackets this season, splitting goals evenly 12 apiece.

• December 2: Capitals 4, Blue Jackets 3
• February 6: Capitals 3, Blue Jackets 2
• February 9: Capitals 4, Blue Jackets 2
• February 26: Blue Jackets 5, Capitals 1

WSH vs CBJ during 5v5 play this season pic.twitter.com/v5R0uFicB7

— Good Tweet Pete 🌮 (@peterhassett) April 8, 2018

Here’s how they stack up.

Record	45-30-7 (15th)	49-26-7 (6th)
Shot Attempt %	51.6% (11th)	48.2% (24th)
PDO	100.3 (14th)	101.5 (4th)
Power Play	17.3% (24th)	22.7% (7th)
Penalty Kill	76.5% (25th)	80.2% (16th)

We’ll let you know when the schedule is available, but the series will likely begin on Wednesday.