Welcome back to The Warmup.
Here, you'll get everything you need to know – including keys to the game, where to watch and listen, and more – before the Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals meet for the first time this season, on Friday night at Nationwide Arena.
The Blue Jackets once again knocked off the Colorado Avalanche in their last outing, a dramatic third-period rally on Saturday night in Columbus.
TUNE-IN
Where to watch, listen and stream tonight's game...
WHO: Blue Jackets (6-3-0) vs. Capitals* (6-2-4)
WHERE: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
WHEN: 7 p.m. ET
TV: Bally Sports Columbus (Jeff Rimer, Jody Shelley)
RADIO: 97.1 FM (Bob McElligott, Dylan Tyrer)
STREAM: ESPN+ (out of market only)
THE LOWDOWN
Well, it's been a while since we last saw the Blue Jackets on the ice.
They completed a three-game road trip (including two games originally scheduled to be played in Finland against the Colorado Avalanche) at 2-1-0, then came back home to complete the home-and-home sweep with a stunner. Alexandre Texier, Cole Sillinger and Oliver Bjorkstrand scored third-period goals to seal the deal on a wild night at Nationwide Arena.
Since then, the Blue Jackets have been dormant – but they're getting back into action with a doozy of a weekend on home ice. Tonight's game against the Washington Capitals is just the first of two home games this weekend, as they'll host the New York Rangers tomorrow night as well. Look for Brad Larsen to use both of his goaltenders in the back-to-back, and we're still awaiting word on the availability of forward Max Domi, who has been cleared from his COVID-19 quarantine and must pass a couple of tests before returning to the lineup (which could happen this weekend).
ALL-TIME: The Blue Jackets are 17-18-8 against the Capitals in 43 meetings, with a 10-9-3 record at Nationwide Arena. Columbus has earned points in five straight games against Washington (4-0-1), but the two teams did not meet in 2020-21 due to the temporary divisional realignment.
KEYS TO THE GAME
What do the Blue Jackets need to do to win tonight? We're glad you asked.
- Shake It Off: It's reasonable to expect the Blue Jackets will have some cobwebs to kick as they get this game underway. They haven't played a game in nearly a week, and they'll be facing a team that played last night in Detroit. The Capitals are going to be ready to go – it's up to the Blue Jackets to manage the game early on.
- Roll On at Home: The Blue Jackets are 5-1-0 at home to start the season, which is a big part of their franchise-best start through 10 games. But this is the "real stuff," to quote former head coach John Tortorella. Divisional games have a bit more on the line, and taking some points off these two teams (first and foremost, Washington) would be quite a statement for a young team.
- Keep It Clean: The Capitals have always been a dangerous team on the power play, but so far, they rank 19th in the NHL in power play efficiency. Take that with a grain of salt, though; the Blue Jackets don't want to give Washington any free chances, especially with a guy like Alex Ovechkin racking up 11 goals in his first nine games.
From the head coach...
