Replay: Washington Capitals race out to 5-0 lead, cruise past Columbus Blue Jackets

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Replay: Washington Capitals race out to 5-0 lead, cruise past Columbus Blue Jackets

Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch · The Columbus Dispatch

Tue, Nov 5, 2024 ·

13 min read

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After getting blown out, 6-2, by the Winnipeg Jets on Friday at Nationwide Arena, the Blue Jackets were dominated 7-2 less than 20 hours later by the Washington Capitals on Saturday at Capital One Arena. Columbus was overwhelmed and overmatched to start, looking like a tired team in the Capitals' five-goal first period.

Nov 2, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates with Capitals center Aliaksei Protas (21) and Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary (42) after scoring a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Here's today's updates and analysis:

FINAL: Washington Capitals 7, Columbus Blue Jackets 2

This one, mercifully for Columbus, is in the books. Washington dominated the first period, overwhelming the Blue Jackets with five unanswered goals on the Capitals' first seven shots to essentially decide the game in the first period.

Nov 2, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals center Connor McMichael (24) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Six different goal-scorers beat Daniil Tarasov for goals, led by Connor McMichael s' two. Ovechkin , Strome and Aliaksei protas each finished with two points to lead the Capitals (8-2-0). Damon Severson and Kevin Labanc scored goals for the Blue Jackets (5-5-1), who return home before leaving Monday for a trip out West.

GOAL, 3rd period 18:34: Washington Capitals 7, Columbus Blue Jackets 2

Tic, tac, toe. Raddysh to Ovechkin to Strome to the back of the Blue Jackets' net to add just a little more insult to injury in the second straight blowout loss for Columbus. Ugly.

3rd period, 11:35: Washington Capitals 6, Columbus Blue Jackets 2

Both teams are playing out the string with 8:25 remaining in a game that was decided in the first 10 minutes of the opening period. They've combined for just seven shots in this period thus far, 4-3 favoring Columbus. Evason and assistant Mike Haviland have mixed up the forward lines in this period, experimenting to see if they can find some hidden chemistry.

3rd period start: Washington Capitals 6, Columbus Blue Jackets 2

Nov 2, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals center Aliaksei Protas (21) scores a goal on Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The final period is being played in Washington, which will bring the Jackets' first of 12 back-to-backs this season to a forgettable close.

2nd intermission: Washington Capitals 6, Columbus Blue Jackets 2

That was a better period for the Blue Jackets, who outscored the Capitals 2-1 in the middle 20 minutes, but they couldn't claw back any closer than a four-goal margin. A late power play provided a chance to get within three, but Thompson and the Capitals killed it off.

GOAL, 2nd period 14:36: Washington Capitals 6, Columbus Blue Jackets 2

Another ugly one for the Blue Jackets, but their second goal of the night was more about hard work than poor goaltending. After grinding to keep the puck inside the Capitals' zone late in the second period, Jiricek throws the puck at the net to create a scramble that Kevin Labanc finished with his first goal as a Blue Jacket.

For some reason, officials didn't blow the play dead after it looked like Thompson had it covered. Labanc capitalized by continuing to go after it with a poke underneath the Capitals goalie that sent the puck over the goal line. It took a video review to confirm, closing Washington's cushion to four goals.

GOAL, 2nd period 4:51: Washington Capitals 6, Columbus Blue Jackets 1

An ill-advised pinch up in the offensive zone by Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek leads to another odd-man rush for the Capitals, who push their lead back up to a five-goal margin on McMichael's second goal in this game. Tarasov made a nice save on the initial shot, but McMichael put the puck off Jiricek on the far side of the net for the rebound goal.

GOAL, 2nd period 0:47: Washington Capitals 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 1

Severson gets one back for the Blue Jackets by simply throwing a shot on net and watching the puck slide trickle underneath Thompson between the pads. It snuck over the goal line at a slow rate of speed. Ugly goal, but they all count the same on the scoresheet.

2nd period start: Washington Capitals 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 0

After getting a chance to regroup in the locker room between periods, the Blue Jackets are back on the ice for the start of the second period. Salvaging a respectable finish to this one would be an accomplishment.

1st intermission: Washington Capitals 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 0

The horn to end the first period couldn't sound soon enough for the overwhelmed, dead-legged team from Columbus. The Capitals swarmed the Blue Jackets from the opening shift and blew this game wide open with five goals on their first seven shots. They only outshot Columbus by three (8-5), but who needs to generate a lot of shots with a blistering 62.5% team shooting percentage for the period?

GOAL, 1st period 14:58: Washington Capitals 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 0

Nic Dowd joins the Capitals' goal party, sliding the puck through the wickets against Tarasov for a five-goal lead in this nightmarish first period for the Blue Jackets. Total domination in all regards by Washington, which scored these five goals on the Capitals' first seven shots.

GOAL, 1st period 14:34: Washington Capitals 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 0

Well, move Alex Ovechkin one closer to Wayne Gretzky. He's only 36 goals away from passing "The Great One" in all-time goals now. This one was scored with a one-timer from distance that probably should've been stopped. Tarasov beaten again. This is humbling, to say the least.

GOAL, 1st period 7:28: Washington Capitals 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 0

The awful start gets even worse. The Capitals' third line creates a 3-on-2 rush against the Jackets' second defense pairing, Jake Christiansen and Severson, and Andrew Mangiapane puts it home off a juicy rebound of Jakub Vrana 's shot. Hendrix Lapierre with the second assist. Severson and Christiansen already have -2 plus/minus ratings and we're just getting to the mid-point of the first period.

Nov 2, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Andrew Mangiapane (88) scores a goal on Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Washington is dominating almost all facets, as expected on full rest playing a team that finished it previous game less than 20 hours before this one began.

GOAL, 1st period 1:42: Washington Capitals 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 0

Brutal start for the Blue Jackets, who've fallen behind by two goals before this game is even two minutes old. Connor McMichael nets this one and Rasmus Sandin gets the assist. This time, the Blue Jackets' third forward line of Mikael Pyyhtia, Justin Danforth and Mathieu Olivier was on the ice along with the top defense pairing of Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov .

GOAL, 1st period 0:56: Washington Capitals 1, Columbus Blue Jackets 0

Damon Severson is having a tough weekend for the Blue Jackets. After committing multiple mistakes against the Jets on Friday, he was clearly tripped without a call on his first shift of the game, giving the Capitals a 2-on-0 against Tarasov that Aliaksei Protas tapped home off a pass from Ryan Strome .

Severson argued his case to no avail.

Game start: Columbus Blue Jackets 0, Washington Capitals 0

The puck is in play over at Capital One Arena in the nation's capital, as the Jackets and Capitals get this 5 p.m. start hockey game going. Here are the starters for each side:

Blue Jackets

First forward line:LW Yegor Chinakhov ― C Sean Monahan ― RW Kirill Marchenko

First defense pairing:LD Zach Werenski — RD Ivan Provorov

Goalie:Daniil Tarasov

Capitals

Fourth forward line:LW Brandon Duhaime ― C Nic Dowd ― RW Taylor Raddysh

First defense pairing:LD Martin Fehervary — RD John Carlson

Goalie: Logan Thompson

Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals goaltending breakdown

Oct 22, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) stands in net during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nationwide Arena. — Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov was 7-10-2 in 2024-25 with a 3.54 goals-against average and .881 save percentage in 20 games.

Blue Jackets:Evason is going back to Tarasov after giving the nod to Merzlikins the past three games. That decision is almost certainly due to this being the finale of a back-to-back rather than Merzlikins' play while taking the loss to Winnipeg. Tarasov is 3-1-1, but has a bloated 3.42 goals-against average and paltry .886 save percentage.

Capitals:Washington will go with Logan Thompson in net. Like Tarasov, his record is considerably better than his other numbers. Thompson has yet to take a loss, posting a 4-0-0 record, but has an inflated 3.21 GAA and ice cold .876 save percentage.

Columbus Blue Jackets lineup at Washington Capitals

Columbus Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger (4) fights to get to the puck against New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) in the second period at Nationwide Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.

Here's how the Blue Jackets are expected to start out against the Capitals after Evason's changes:

Forward lines

Yegor Chinakhov — Sean Monahan — Kirill Marchenko

Dmitri Voronkov — Adam Fantilli — Cole Sillinger

Mikael Pyyhtia — Justin Danforth — Mathieu Olivier

Zach Aston-Reese — Sean Kuraly — Kevin Labanc

Defense pairings

Zach Werenski — Ivan Provorov

Jake Christiansen — Damon Severson

Jack Johnson — David Jiricek

Goalies

Daniil Tarasov

Elvis Merzlikins

Scratched:D Jordan Harris , F James van Riemsdyk

Injured:F Boone Jenner (shoulder surgery), D Erik Gudbranson (shoulder surgery), F Kent Johnson (shoulder) and F Gavin Brindley (fractured finger)

Washington Capitals projected lineup against Columbus Blue Jackets

Jan 5, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) and Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome (17) fight for the puck during the second period of the NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals on Thursday night at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch

Here's how the Blue Jackets are expected to start out against the Capitals after Evason's changes:

Forward lines

Aliaksei Protas — Dylan Strome — Alex Ovechkin

Connor McMichael — Pierre-Luc Dubois — Tom Wilson

Jakub Vrana — Hendrix Lapierre — Andrew Mangiapane

Brandon Duhaime — Nic Dowd — Taylor Raddysh

Defense pairings

Martin Fehervery — John Carlson

Rasmus Sandin — Trevor van Riemsdyk

Alexander Alexeyev — Dylan McIlrath

Goalies

Logan Thompson

Charlie Lindgren

Scratched:F Michael Sgarbossa , D Vincent Iorio , F Sonny Milano

Injured:D Jakub Chychyrun (upper body), D Matt Roy (lower body), F T.J. Oshie (back), C Nicklas Backstrom (hip)

Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals lineup changes

Oct 22, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) salutes the fans following the 6-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena.

According to Jeff Svoboda, who writes for the Blue Jackets' website, Evason is making a few changes before facing the Capitals. Forward Kevin Labanc will return to the lineup, replacing James van Riemsdyk on the fourth line, while defenseman David Jiricek will replace Jordan Harris on the third defense pairing.

Jiricek, picked sixth overall in 2022, has only played two of the Jackets' first 10 games. Labanc, claimed off waivers from the New Jersey Devils in the preseason, was scratched against Winnipeg to make room for Dmitri Voronkov's return from a preseason shoulder injury.

Oct 19, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek (55) fights for the puck against Minnesota Wild center Frederick Gaudreau (89) in the first period at Nationwide Arena on Saturday.

Voronkov finished with a -3 plus/minus rating against the Jets, but he'll get another chance to shake off rust from his injury absence while van Riemsdyk gets a rest. Daniil Tarasov will get the start in net after Elvis Merzlikins started the previous three games.

According to the Washington Post's Bailey Johnson, the Capitals will bring forward Hendrix Lapierre back into their lineup after two games as a healthy scratch and start Logan Thompson in net.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals history

All-time record:The Blue Jackets are 19-25-9 with one tie in 54 games against the Capitals, including 9-13-4 with one tie on the road. Washington took all three games last season, completing the series sweep with a 3-2 overtime win Dec. 21 at Nationwide Arena.
Last meeting:The Blue Jackets put up a good fight in the final meeting last season, but lost in OT on Dec. 21, 2023 after goalie Elvis Merzlikins was penalized for roughing Capitals pestilent forward Tom Wilson by pushing him into his net and pummeling him. Alex Ovechkin capped the ensuing power play with a winning goal that sent Merzlikins and the Blue Jackets off the ice listening to jeers from the aggrieved Capitals, who drew motivation from the Columbus goalie's actions.
2024 matchups:Nov. 2 in Washington; Dec. 12, in Columbus; April 12, 2025 in Columbus; April 13, 2025 in Washington

Who are the officials for Columbus Blue Jackets vs Washington Capitals?

Referee:Ghislain Hebert (22)

Referee:Pierre Lambert (25)

Lines official:Kyle Flemington (55)

Lines official:Julien Fournier (56)

Dec. 201, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) are separated after fighting during overtime at Nationwide Arena on Thursday.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday, Nov. 2

Spread:Blue Jackets (+1.5)
Over/under:6.5
Moneyline:Blue Jackets +220, Islanders -275

Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan (23) skates between Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) and Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi (13) during the first period at Nationwide Arena on November 1, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus Blue Jackets news

3 takeaways from the Blue Jackets' humbling loss to Winnipeg
Blue Jackets crumble under Jets' pressure
Blue Jackets take stride with grinding win over Islanders
Routing the McDavid-less Oilers : 3 takeaways
Reviewing how the Blue Jackets blew out the Edmonton Oilers
3 takeaways from the Blue Jackets' latest loss in Music City
Another unsuccessful trip to Nashville
Kent Johnson hopes to return this season with rehab, no shoulder surgery

Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Kuraly (7) and Columbus Blue Jackets left wing James van Riemsdyk (21) talk during the second period at Nationwide Arena on November 1, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio during the game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Columbus Blue Jackets November 2024 schedule, record

Here's a look at the Blue Jackets' schedule for November, along with start times, television, and radio information of upcoming games:

Friday, Nov. 1: Blue Jackets vs Winnipeg Jets (L, 6-2) ; Takeaways ; Photos
Saturday, Nov. 2:Blue Jackets at Capitals | 5 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 93.3 The Bus
Tuesday, Nov. 5:Blue Jackets at Sharks | 10:30 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 97.1 The Fan
Saturday, Nov. 9:Blue Jackets at Kings | 9 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 97.1 The Fan
Sunday, Nov. 10:Blue Jackets at Ducks | 8 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 97.1 The Fan
Tuesday, Nov. 12:Blue Jackets at Kraken | 10 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 97.1 The Fan
Friday, Nov. 15:Blue Jackets vs Penguins | 7 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 93.3 The Bus
Saturday, Nov. 16:Blue Jackets at Canadiens | 7 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 97.1 The Fan
Monday, Nov. 18:Blue Jackets at Boston Bruins | 7 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 97.1 The Fan
Thursday, Nov. 21:Blue Jackets vs Lightning | 7 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 97.1 The Fan
Saturday, Nov. 23:Blue Jackets vs Hurricanes | 7 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 97.1 The Fan
Wednesday, Nov. 27:Blue Jackets vs Canadiens | 7:30 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 97.1 The Fan
Friday, Nov. 29:Blue Jackets vs Calgary Flames | 3 p.m. | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | 93.3 The Bus
November Record:0-1-0, 5th place, Metropolitan Division