Two down, two to go. Then, hopefully, 12 more.
The Columbus Blue Jackets currently hold the only playoff series lead in their history – one that they pushed to two games Sunday night in Washington with another overtime win over the Capitals. You know the story: Sergei Bobrovsky was great, Matt Calvert showed up when it mattered the most and the Blue Jackets left D.C. with a 2-0 series lead, but the Blue Jackets can't take their feet off the gas pedal.
A win tonight would push the series to 3-0 in favor of the Blue Jackets (a deficit that's only been overcome four times in NHL history) and put Columbus one game away from winning its first ever playoff series.
MATCHUP
Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets
WHERE: Nationwide Arena
WHEN: Tuesday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Ohio, NBC Sports Network
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- Can the Blue Jackets stay out of the box? The Capitals have scored seven goals so far in this series, but five of them (71%) have come on the man advantage. If the Blue Jackets can clean it up, they should come out on top.
- Who's in net for the Capitals? That remains to be seen. Philipp Grubauer started the first two games, but Braden Holtby came on in relief after the second period of Game 2. If it is Grubauer, look for the Jackets to attack his glove side hard, as five of the eight goals he's allowed in the series came that way.
- Sergei Bobrovsky stood taller than ever last time out, with 54 saves on 58 shots. Will he continue that brilliance? Will his teammates do a better job keeping pucks off of him? He's certainly capable of repeating that performance – but the Blue Jackets should have their eyes on controlling the flow of the game, and it's tough to do that when your goalie is facing a barrage of shots like that.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| Series Record | PP | PK | 5v5 Corsi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 2–0 | 4–8, 50% (2nd) | 8-13, 61.5% (13th) | 44.83% (14th) |
| WASHINGTON CAPITALS | 0–2 | 5–13, 38.5% (4th) | 4-8, 50% (15th) | 55.17% (3rd) |
