Strap in, readers. It’s time for everybody’s favorite: a weekend back-to-back! And for the second time this month.
Tonight, the Capitals face the Columbus Blue Jackets, a Metropolitan Division rival, who have started the season strong. They’re 3-3-0 and are a plus-3 in goal differential. Jet Greaves has also provided strong goaltending.
The Caps will take the ice without Pierre-Luc Dubois for a fifth straight game due to a lower-body injury. Rasmus Sandin did not even make the trip due to an upper-body injury he suffered last game. Washington is 11-3-1 in their last 15 against the Blue Jackets and 6 of their last 7 in Nationwide Arena.
Puck drop for Caps-Blue Jackets is shortly after 7:00 pm on Monumental Sports Network 2 with the Washington Wizards being televised on main. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin will have the call.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Columbus Blue Jackets
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped. Duhaime-Dowd-Frank and Chychrun-Roy get the start for the Capitals.
Kent Johnson sneaks around the back of the net, and gets a backhanded shot away on Logan Thompson. Big save there.
Trevor van Riemsdyk down the runway to the locker room after taking a shot off the left side of the mouth. The shot came off the hands of Kent Johnson at the point.
Both teams have been rolling lines, this period is flying by.
Two shots for Ovechkin on the same shift.
Jakob Chychrun with a huge shot down broadway. It’s stopped. Hendrix Lapierre hits the post on the rebound.
Ovi skates down on a two-on-one with Anthony Beauvillier. He opts to pass and the Caps can’t get a good chance on goal.
Dmitri Voronkov to the box for slashing Chychrun after he appeared to be offside at the blue line. Capitals go to their first power play with 3:56 remaining in the period.
Ovechkin falls down and Boone Jenner nearly scores the other way on a two-on-one after the Capitals pp expires.
Logan Thompson stops Sean Monahan from point blank range with his glove.
Adam Fantilli stopped by Thompson on a partial breakaway. WOW this game has opened up really fast. What a game.
Nic Dowd to the box for tripping Ivan Provorov at 19:54.
At intermission: There’s no score after some strong goaltending by both netminders. Shots are tied 12 to 12. The Blue Jackets lead in five-on-five shot attempts, 23 to 16.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
The Blue Jackets have 1:54 remaining on a power play.
Kirill Marchenko to the box for holding Jakob Chychrun’s stick at 4:52. Caps go to their second power play of the night.
Ethen Frank gets a “big time cheapie” for slashing. He tapped Zach Werenski as he skated by at 10:18.
Voronkov rings a one-timer hard off the post after getting set up by Marchenko wide open down low. Caps really lucky there.
This game is getting tighter and becoming more of a plodder to watch. Capitals haven’t generated a shot attempt in the last six minutes.
John Carlson with a huge goal. His one-timer from the point beats a screened Jet Greaves to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead with 1:41 left in the second period. Carlson now has a five-game point streak. The puck appeared to hit Werenski’s stick and jump over Greaves’ right pad.
1-0 Washington Capitals
Goal: John Carlson (2). Assists: C. McMichael (2), H. Lapierre (2). Time: 18:19
TVR’s chin after taking a shot off the face. Yikes.
At intermission: The Capitals lead 1-0 despite being outshot 22 to 14. The Capitals had only two shots in the second period. Columbus leads the Capitals in 5v5 shot attempts, 34 to 25.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Hendrix Lapierre with a great shot in front of the net, nearly lifting a backhander past Greaves. A scrum erupts after Tom Wilson taps Greaves glove after the save.
Alex Ovechkin career goal no. 899, right off a faceoff.
2-0 Washington Capitals
Goal: Alex Ovechkin (2). Assists: D. Strome (8). Time: 1:34
A JUSTIN SOURDIF POINT. He kinda missed badly on the breakaway, but it bounces off the post and Greaves’ back and in.
3-0 Washington Capitals
Goal: Justin Sourdif (1). Assists: R. Leonard (1), L. Thompson (1). Time: 2:40
Hendrix Lapierre to the box for slashing Damon Severson at 6:19.
Caps kill the penalty.
Blue Jackets finally get on the board after a great pass by Sean Monahan down low, breaking Logan Thompson’s shutout.
3-1 Washington Capitals
Goal: Denton Mateychuk (2). Assists: S. Monahan (2), D. Voronkov (4). Time: 10:20
Voronkov scores but it’s ruled no goal because he had a distinct kicking motion to send the puck into the net. That would have narrowed the score to 3-2 with 9:01 remaining. Was an incredible play regardless.
Declan Chisholm takes a shoulder to the head from Mathieu Olivier (left shoulder and elbow). Horrible headshot. Chisholm down the tunnel with 7:25 remaining.
Olivier gets a give minute major for elbowing. Certainly looks like he could face supplemental discipline for this.
Ethen Frank’s shots from just outside the crease are stopped, but Tom Wilson backhands the puck into the empty net. That’s his team-leading fifth goal of the year.
4-1 Washington Capitals
PPG: Tom Wilson (5). Assists: E. Frank (1), J. Carlson (5). Time: 15:39
Connor McMichael bats a stopped Alex Ovechkin rebound out of mid-air for his first goal of the year.
5-1 Washington Capitals
PPG: Connor McMichael (1). Assists: A. Ovechkin (5), A. Protas (5). Time: 16:37
Capitals win 5-1. Contributions from up and down the lineup, but Logan Thompson was the story making 34 saves.
Keeping the cannons at bay on the road: Capitals beat Blue Jackets 5-1
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