Gameday Preview: Blue Jackets vs. Capitals

The Details

BLUE JACKETS vs. CAPITALS
GAME INFO
COLUMBUS: 15-32-3, 8th in Metropolitan
WASHINGTON: 26-20-6, 4th in Metropolitan
NATIONWIDE ARENA, 7 p.m. ET
BUY TICKETS
Game presented by Nationwide
BROADCAST INFO
TV:
Bally Sports Ohio
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AUDIO:
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CBJ Player Statistics
Capitals Player Statistics
NHL Standings
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What They're Saying

With the break nearly upon the Blue Jackets, they'll have one last chance tonight to lace up the skates before being off until Feb. 10.
In other words, there's no reason not to play a full 60 minutes of hockey at full tilt, something the Blue Jackets couldn't quite do in losses to end their road trip at Vancouver and Seattle. After taking three of four points in Alberta, the Blue Jackets had slow starts against both the Canucks and Kraken and couldn't battle back to get points.
"We didn't have a chance the way we managed the puck," Larsen said after the Jackets' 3-1 loss to Seattle on Saturday. "Gosh, it was like we were playing with a soccer ball. We just kept giving it away and giving it away. That doesn't bode well. They're going to create their opportunities; they're a good team. But to me, it's two areas - the 50-50 battles at the puck and the puck management just really killed us there for half of it."
In the end, Columbus battled back and had a good third period against the Kraken, but they were unable to find the back of the net. That puts the onus on the squad to be ready to go for a full 60 minutes, which would put the team in better position and not in need of a late comeback.
"We just have to come out a lot harder," Johnny Gaudreau said in Seattle. "That was kind of unacceptable in the first, but we responded in the second, got a big goal from KJ and had some good looks in the third there. I think Patty hits the post, Boone almost snuck one in there that we thought went in, but we need a better start."

Know The Foe: Washington Capitals

Head coach:Peter Laviolette (Third season)
Season Stats: Goals per game: 3.10 (17th) | Scoring defense: 2.83 (10th) | PP: 20.6 percent (19th) | PK: 81.3 percent (8th)
The narrative: One of the oldest teams in the NHL, the 2018 Stanley Cup champs have kept the band together to make another run at a championship, but the playoffs are not guaranteed. The Caps are currently holding the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but Washington has played more games than some of the other teams in the race and is in a furious battle to hold its spot. Will the team's veteran nature be a help or a hindrance over the final 30 games?
2022-23 leaders: As always, any conversation about the Caps begins and ends with Alex Ovechkin. The 37-year-old in his 18th NHL season is seventh in the NHL with 32 goals, while his 54 points also leads the Caps. Evgeny Kuznetsov is next with a 6-35-41 line, while Dylan Strome has 11 goals among his 36 points. Marcus Johansson (13), Conor Sheary (12), Nic Dowd (10) and T.J. Oshie (10) are also in double digits in goals.
In net, Darcy Kuemper leads the way with a 15-14-4 record in 34 starts while posting a 2.62 GAA and .915 save percentage. Charlie Lindgren also has 11 wins among his 22 appearances.
What's new:Injuries have been a big issue for the Capitals this season, as John Carlson is out long term and the squad was without Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson until the two debuted in the Jackets' Jan. 8 visit to DC. Wilson is now out, though, with a lower-body injury and the team also is missing Dowd, Connor Brown and Carl Hagelin. Consistency has proven elusive of late for the Caps, who are 5-7-1 in January and have just 24 goals in the last 11 games.
Trending:The Caps have won both games so far this year, capturing a 6-2 final in Nationwide Arena on Jan. 5 and then winning 1-0 three days later back in DC. Washington has won five of the last six in the series since it resumed post-pandemic a season ago.
Former CBJ: Sonny Milano has found a home in DC, as the 2014 first-round pick of the Blue Jackets has an 8-14-22 line in 39 games.

3 Keys to the Game

Empty the tank: With just one game left before the break, the Blue Jackets can leave all they have on the ice.
Best players playing best: The Blue Jackets are happy to get production from Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson, but consistent winning will require contributions from the top line players.
Oh, hey Ovi: The Blue Jackets know what Ovechkin brings to the table having played him so often over the years, but he's the biggest weapon the Caps have that must be shut down.

3 Stats to Know

• With Marchenko (13 goals) and Johnson (10) both in double digits, this is the third time in CBJ history that two rookies have at least 10 goals. The previous instances were 2000-01 (Serge Aubin and David Vyborny, each with 13) and 2016-17 (Pierre-Luc Dubois with 20 and Milano with 14).
• With 13 goals and zero assists, Marchenko is just the third NHLer all-time to begin his career with that many goals without a helper and the first since Pittsburgh's John McKinnon in 1926-27, per NHL Stats.
• Milestone watch: Sean Kuraly is five games from 400 for his NHL career (47-64-111, 395 GP).

Who's Hot

Marchenko's 13 goals are the most ever for a CBJ player in the first 27 games of his career, plus tied for sixth-most ever for a CBJ rookie with Aubin, Vyborny and Nikolai Zherdev. He has four goals in the last four games and is tied for second in the NHL among rookies in tallies with Dallas' Wyatt Johnston. In addition, his 13 goals are tied for the seventh most for an NHL player in his first 27 games since the year 2000. … Patrik Laine (2-6-8) and Gaudreau (1-6-7) had five-game point streaks end in Seattle on Saturday. … Gaudreau ranks sixth in the NHL in assists since Nov. 10 with 8-31-39 in 38 contests. … Johnson's 25 points (10-15-25) are tied for the 10th-most ever for a CBJ rookie with Derick Brassard (2008-09). He ranks tied for fifth in the NHL in goals among rookies and is tied for fourth in points. … CBJ rookies lead all NHL teams in goals and place second in points with 30-31-61 in 50 games.

This Day in CBJ History

Jan. 31, 2001: The Blue Jackets sign forward Jody Shelley as a free agent amid a season in which he posts 357 penalty minutes with the team's top farm club in Syracuse.
Jan. 31, 2004: Anders Eriksson scores the 12th overtime goal in franchise history, beating Minnesota's Dwayne Roloson 2:59 into the extra frame to give the Blue Jackets a 2-1 win in Nationwide Arena.

Roster Report

Projected Lineup (subject to change)
Johnny Gaudreau - Boone Jenner - Patrik Laine
Kirill Marchenko - Cole Sillinger - Kent Johnson
Liam Foudy - Jack Roslovic - Emil Bemstrom
Eric Robinson - Sean Kuraly - Mathieu Olivier
Vladislav Gavrikov - Andrew Peeke
Tim Berni - Erik Gudbranson
Gavin Bayreuther - Marcus Bjork
Joonas Korpisalo
Elvis Merzlikins
Scratches:Lane Pederson (immigration), Nick Blankenburg (upper body injury, day to day), Adam Boqvist (upper body injury, day to day)
Injured reserve:Gustav Nyquist (upper body injury, out indefinitely); Yegor Chinakhov (high ankle sprain, out six weeks as of Dec. 21); Carson Meyer (oblique, out six to eight weeks as of Jan. 11); Jake Bean (shoulder, out four to six months after surgery in November); Jakub Voracek (upper body, out indefinitely); Zach Werenski (shoulder surgery, out for season); Justin Danforth (shoulder surgery, out for season)
Roster Report:The injury hits keep on coming for the Blue Jackets, who saw Nyquist, Boqvist and Blankenburg injured on the Western Canada swing. Nyquist is likely the only long-term injury, but the Blue Jackets are up against it as they get ready to play the Caps. Bjork will go in for Jake Christiansen, who was sent back to Cleveland, while Korpisalo gets the net.