Match-up - Washington Capitals (24-13-9) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (20-22-3) Road/Home records - 12-8-4 -------------- 9-12-2 TV - CSN-DC, FS-O Puck drop - 7:00 p.m. ET Season series - 2-1 Caps Last 10 - Capitals: 6-2-2 ------------ Blue Jackets: 4-6-0 Projected starting goalies - Braden Holtby vs Curtis McElhinney
Projected lines for the Capitals via DailyFaceoff.com:
Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - Andre Burakovsky Marcus Johansson - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Troy Brouwer Brooks Laich - Eric Fehr - Joel Ward Jason Chimera - Jay Beagle - Tom Wilson
Brooks Orpik - John Carlson Karl Alzner - Matt Niskanen Jack Hillen - Mike Green
Projected lines for the Blue Jackets:
Nick Foligno - Ryan Johansen - Jeremy Morin Scott Hartnell - Brandon Dubinsky - Josh Anderson Matt Calvert - Alex Wennberg - Cam Atkinson Corey Tropp - Mark Letestu - Jared Boll
Jack Johnson - David Savard Kevin Connauton - James Wisniewski Fedor Tyutin - Dalton Prout
Injured: Artem Anisimov, Boone Jenner, Brian Gibbons, Nathan Horton, Ryan Murray, Sergei Bobrovsky.
What to watch:
1) Curtis McElhinney hasn't had the best of seasons, but he has played much better of late. McElhinney has won three consecutive starts, and posted a .900SV% or better in four of his last five appearances. With Sergei Bobrovsky out 4-6 weeks, it's McElhinney's not for the next little while. The playoffs are probably unrealistic at this point, but he's playing for a job next season so he should be motivated.
2) These two teams are remarkably even when it comes to special teams, but the Capitals hold a decisive advantage at even-strength. As has been the case for much of the season, Columbus isn't going to win unless they get above average goaltending. McElhinney will have to be good, because he's going to be tested.
3) Ryan Johansen is pointless in two games since going on a 13-game point streak. After his 10-game point streak was broken earlier in the season he recorded points in consecutive games just once (a two-game streak) in six weeks. Hopefully he can buck that trend this time around, because the Jackets don't have enough depth right now to win if their stars aren't scoring.
4) Expect Jack Johnson and David Savard to spend a good portion of their night against the Ovechkin line. They've struggled defensively for most of the year so if that's the case again, it could get ugly.
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