Then there's the fact that the Blue Jackets clipped the wings of the Caps in the last meeting between the rivals, a 2-1 overtime victory for Columbus in the nation's capital that was one of the team's most memorable wins of the season.
Add it all up and there's a reason the Nationwide Arena crowd should be ready to egg on the Jackets as another crucial week begins in the team's playoff quest.
PRACTICE REPORT: St. Louis returns, Jackets want to play better at home
"We go back with a lot of confidence knowing that we have a huge test at home against two really good teams again," captain Nick Foligno said after the team capped the road trip with a 4-3, comeback win at Vegas on Saturday night.
"We just have to move forward and keep getting points as fast as we can."
Foligno was parroting the words of head coach John Tortorella, who said the Blue Jackets should return home feeling good after what felt like a crucial victory at Vegas. It wasn't always the team's best hockey, but it got the job done after Columbus arrived in Colorado for the three-game trip in need of anything to go right while riding a five-game losing streak.
The first win against the Avalanche wasn't without its share of mistakes, but Columbus played a strong third to beat the Avs, then downed Arizona on Thursday before playing its best game of the road trip at Vegas.
As the road trip continued, Tortorella spoke more and more about structure and how the Blue Jackets had to play better team hockey.
"I think you have to be in contact with all five guys as far as our arrivals in our end zone so we don't get outnumbered," Tortorella said. "That will help us on breakouts, through the neutral zone on our forechecking where we don't have gaps through there. We want to be connected all the time through the game."
One line that certainly did that on the road trip was the trio of Foligno and fellow winger Josh Anderson along with center Boone Jenner. Jenner returned from a three-game injury absence to fill up the stat sheet, scoring a goal and adding four assists on the trip while winning 49 of 68 faceoffs.
Anderson, meanwhile, had three goals in three games, including the game winners vs. Colorado and Arizona. Foligno did not have any points on the trip but was plus-3, provided the screen on Cam Atkinson's power-play winner in Vegas and had a huge shot block in the final 20 seconds of that victory. The captain did not leave the ice in the final 3:07 of the game.
Columbus entered the season looking to knock Washington, the defending Stanley Cup champion, from its lofty perch. The Blue Jackets return home with momentum and a big week to try to keep it going.
"It's huge," Anderson said at the conclusion of the winning trip. "I think it was a good time for us to get back on the road there, but at the same time, we have to figure things out at home now, really focus in and try to play in front of our crowd like we know we can. Right back at it and back to work."
Know The Foe
The Capitals need no introduction given the number of times the play each other during the season, but here's what's up for the Caps since the teams played Jan. 12.
That Columbus win kicked off a seven-game losing skid for the Capitals that led into the team's winter break. The Caps got just two points in that stretch with OT losses to both the Blue Jackets and Sharks, while Washington suffered setbacks vs. St. Louis, Nashville, the New York Islanders, Chicago and Toronto. Things were particularly ugly over the last three games of that stretch as the Caps gave up a combined 21 goals in that span.
It's been a different story since then as the Caps started the second half with a six-game homestand in which the team went 4-1-1, including last night's 6-4 win vs. the Kings. The defensive struggles still aren't totally figured out, though, as the Caps have ceded 12 goals over the last three games and currently sit 21st in the NHL in scoring defense (3.20 goals allowed per game).
Scoring remains the team's forte, as the Caps average 3.38 goals per game to place seventh in the league while converting 21.1 percent of their power plays. The team has a 1.15 ratio of goals for to goals against at 5-on-5.
It will come as no surprise that Ovechkin continues to lead the NHL in goals with 38 on the season, five clear of Jeff Skinner, John Tavares and Patrick Kane. Ovechkin has 64 points total to lead the team, while Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov each have 53 and defenseman John Carlson has 41 assists to tie for third among NHL blueliners.
With backup Pheonix Copley starting Monday night, the Caps figure to turn to Braden Holtby (19-13-4, 3.07 GAA, .906 SV%, -2.68 GSAA) against the Blue Jackets.
