Game Preview: Blue Jackets Meet Ovechkin And The Capitals For The First Time This Season

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

21-13-6 (48 points; .600%) ROSTER / SCHEDULE

7:00 P.M. – THURSDAY, JANUARY 6 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH

TELEVISION: ESPN

After being shutout north of the border against the Ottawa Senators, the Columbus Blue Jackets return home to Nationwide Arena for a Thursday night matchup against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

The Blue Jackets lost 4-0 to the Senators on Tuesday, the third time they've been shutout this season — all by 4-0 margins. Columbus' offense generated just 22 shots on goal, the second-lowest total of the season.

The loss was the 8th time in nine games for the Blue Jackets, who have won just four games since Thanksgiving.

Here's what to know when the Blue Jackets and Capitals meet for the first time this season and the first of three times in January:

TALKING POINTS: CAPS

• As it has for well over a decade, the Capitals offense runs through Ovechkin, He's the team leader in goals, with 28. That's more than double anyone else on the team; Conor Sheary is second with just 11. 
   
• Despite losing two of their last three (both in overtime), the Caps are on an eight-game point streak. Prior to their last loss on December 15th (a one goal loss to the Dallas Stars), Washington had won five straight — that's a record of 11-1-2 over the last 14 games. During that time, they've outscored their opponents by an exact two-to-one margin (60-30).
   
• Washington brought in a freshly crowned Stanley Cup champion to play between the pipes, signing Darcy Kuemper to a long-term contract in the offseason. His 2.58 goals against average and .916 save percentage are above average, but backup Charlie Lindgren (2.57, .914) has been equally as good in 16 starts.
   
• Making their recent stretch even more impressive, the Capitals have gone the entire season without Nicklas Backstrom or Tom Wilson. Both are skating and head coach Peter Laviolette says that both are close to making their season debut. 

CBJ

• POST-SHUTOUT BLUES
  The Blue Jackets other two shutout losses this season have been the first in losing streaks of four and eight games. With the next five games against Washington (twice), Carolina (twice), and the Tampa Bay Lightning, it's fair to wonder if Tuesday's loss was the first of six straight losses. Can Columbus find a way to buck the trend?
   
• A #1 GOALIE
  He's not winning much, but Joonas Korpisalo appears to be Columbus' #1 goalie for the rest of the season. The 3.13 goals against average is a bit high, but his .911 save percentage is good enough to rank 22nd of the 64 goalies with ten or more games this season.
   
• GET KENT OFF THE SCHNEID
  Kent Johnson is without a point in his last four games — his longest drought of the season. Johnson is 8-8-16 this season in 33 games despite averaging less than 14 minutes of ice time per night. The opportunities have been there, but can the Blue Jackets 20-year-old center get on the scoresheet Thursday?
   

PROJECTED LINES
Updated: 7:05 a.m. // Subject to Change