As Metropolitan Division mates, the Blue Jackets and Capitals are intimately familiar with each other.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are 12–17–1–6 all-time against the Washington Capitals. 20 of those 36 games have come in the last five seasons, following league realignment in 2013-14 that saw the Jackets and Caps merged into the Metropolitan Division. Washington holds an 8–11–1 edge, having outscored Columbus 71-60 in those Metro games.
With the Blue Jackets playing one of the youngest rosters in the NHL, these are good numbers to know, but not incredibly relevant. The CBJ we'll see tonight at Capital One Arena for Game 1 of the teams' opening round series are not the same Jackets who had a hand in games from years past.
CBJ at COA
The Blue Jackets are 4–9–1–3 all-time at Capital One Arena, the home for Thursday's Game 1. They are 1–3–1 on the road against the Caps over the last two seasons.
For instance, red hot Artemi Panarin has faced Washington just eight times in his career. Rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois, as you would expect, has only skated against Alex Ovechkin and company four times. Even “veterans,” like 23-year-old Seth Jones, has only met the Caps 12 times in his career.
With that said, there's still value in looking at Blue Jackets player splits against the Washington Capitals and there are a few things that jump out.
Eight Blue Jackets, led by Seth Jones, Dubois and Cam Atkinson score more against the Capitals than they do against other teams in the league. With 10 points in 12 games against Washington, Jones is putting up a lofty 0.833 points per game against the Caps, nearly double his career average of 0.462 points per game. He has five points in his last five games against the Capitals.
Dubois' sample is nearly insignificant, given he's a rookie, but the center does have three points in four career games against Washington. Atkinson's 0.727 points per game against the Caps is nearly 20% more than the baseline over his career. Cam also has three game-winning goals against the Capitals in 22 contests.
Captain Nick Foligno, expected to return from injury for the series, also produces more against the Capitals than the rest of the league. His 20 career points against the Caps are the second-most on the team.
Which leads us to a handful of surprises rounding out the players that produce more against the Capitals than they otherwise do. Brandon Dubinsky and Jack Johnson, both healthy scratches at times this season, and fourth-liner Matt Calvert seem to get more against Washington. Dubinsky, in particular, had success against Washington when he was a New York Ranger.
Among top line players who have failed to match their career scoring rate against the Capitals, Panarin at 0.750 points per game, is slightly off his (incredibly great) 0.959 career pace, but again, he's only faced the Caps eight times and has four points and a +2 rating against them in the teams' last five meetings.
On the flip side, wingers Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand are riding the struggle bus against Washington, combining for zero points and a -6 rating in 16 career games. It's worth repeating: Zero points in 16 career games combined.
The full table is below, with skaters who outperform against the Capitals highlighted:
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | EV | PP | SH | GWG | Last 5 | PTS/GM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SETH JONES | D | 12 | 3 | 7 | 10 | +2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1–4–5 (+2) | 0.833 |
| ARTEMI PANARIN | LW | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | +3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3–1–4 (+2) | 0.750 |
| PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS | C | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | +1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1–2–3 (+1) | 0.750 |
| CAM ATKINSON | RW | 22 | 9 | 7 | 16 | +1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1–2–3 (0) | 0.727 |
| THOMAS VANEK | RW | 40 | 10 | 15 | 25 | +9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1–2–3 (-1) | 0.625 |
| NICK FOLIGNO | C | 34 | 7 | 13 | 20 | +2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0–0–0 (0) | 0.588 |
| BRANDON DUBINSKY | RW | 50 | 10 | 19 | 29 | -3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1–1–2 (-3) | 0.580 |
| JACK JOHNSON | D | 24 | 5 | 8 | 13 | -3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1–0–1 (+1) | 0.542 |
| MATT CALVERT | LW | 17 | 2 | 7 | 9 | -3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1–2–3 (-2) | 0.529 |
| ALEXANDER WENNBERG | C | 16 | 1 | 7 | 8 | -3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0–3–3 (+4) | 0.500 |
| SONNY MILANO | LW | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1–0–1 (+1) | 0.500 |
| ZACH WERENSKI | D | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1–0–1 (-1) | 0.333 |
| BOONE JENNER | LW | 19 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0–0–0 (-2) | 0.316 |
| MARK LETESTU | C | 17 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1–0–1 (0) | 0.294 |
| RYAN MURRAY | D | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0–0–0 (-4) | 0.250 |
| DAVID SAVARD | D | 20 | 3 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1–0–1 (-2) | 0.200 |
| MARKUS NUTIVAARA | D | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0–1–1 (-2) | 0.167 |
| LUKAS SEDLAK | LW | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0–1–1 (0) | 0.125 |
| IAN COLE | D | 29 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0–0–0 (-1) | 0.103 |
| JOSH ANDERSON | RW | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0–0–0 (-1) | 0.000 |
| OLIVER BJORKSTRAND | LW | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0–0–0 (-2) | 0.000 |
Looking at the goalie position, Sergei Bobrovsky enters the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs with something to prove. The two-time Vezina winner has an .887 save percentage, allowing 3.63 goals per game and has just three wins in his 13 playoff starts. Those numbers are well off his career production of a .920 save percentage and 2.44 GAA.
The good news? He won't be facing the Penguins and their waves of snipers. Not that Ovechkin and crew can't score, but there's something to be said about not facing the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.
Interestingly enough, Washington and Pittsburgh are the only two Metropolitan Division teams Bobrovsky has yet to shut out in his eight-year career. “Bob” was actually even pulled once against the Caps way back in 2011, when he was in net for the Flyers and allowed three goals on nine shots.
Bobrovsky is 7–10–4 all-time against the Capitals, stopping 90% of the shots he's faced, while allowing three goals per game. This season, he's 1–3 against Washington, stopping just 87% of the shots he faced, and letting in 3.04 goals per.
He'll need to be on the top of his game for the Blue Jackets to advance.
Backup Joonas Korpisalo, who finished 8–8–1 this season with an .897 save percentage and a 3.32 GAA, has never faced the Capitals – one of four teams (Arizona, Minnesota and San Jose, the others) he has no ice time against. He likely won't be needed in the series, but stranger things have happened.
| Goalie | GP | W | L | OT | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | Last 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERGEI BOBROVSKY | 22 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 576 | 64 | 3.02 | .900 | 0 | 1–4–0 |
| JOONAS KORPISALO | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
The Blue Jackets will be counting on an array of veterans and newcomers to top the Washington Capitals in their opening round series. The Capitals enter the series as slight favorites, -130 according to Bovada, which would mean Vegas gives the Jackets a 47.62% of taking the series.
Unlike last year's playoffs, the Blue Jackets are playing their best hockey of the season right now. Panarin is dazzling, Dubois has emerged, head coach John Tortorella has forward lines he seems to love, and the defensive pairings are solid following shrewd moves at the trade deadline.
We like Columbus' chances. So should you.
