VAN +102 o5.5
BOS -112 u5.5
UTAH -127 o6.0
MON +115 u6.0
Columbus 6th Metropolitan33-22-11-4
Washington 1st Metropolitan41-20-5-3

Columbus @ Washington preview

Capital One Arena

Last Meeting ( Feb 12, 2019 ) Washington 0, Columbus 3


A pair of six-game winning streaks have helped the Washington Capitals ascend to the top of the Metropolitan, while a four-game skid has the Columbus Blue Jackets tunneling toward the bottom of the division. The Blue Jackets aim to prevent matching their worst winless skid of the season on Monday when they visit the Capitals.

Columbus was done in by a familiar face on Saturday as two-time Vezina Trophy recipient Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 33 shots against his former team in Florida's 4-1 victory. "You have to find a way to break through and find a way to get going," Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno told reporters. "We have to have that mindset in here or it's going to be a long season." It's been a productive season in Washington, which matched its jaunt from Oct. 25-Nov. 9 by winning its sixth straight on Friday. "It wasn't a pretty game. ... But it's all good. We're leaving here after an amazing road trip," forward Tom Wilson told reporters after the Capitals' 3-2 win over Anaheim completed a sweep of a four-game trek for the second time in franchise history (Feb. 9-16, 1993).

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, FS Ohio (Columbus), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (11-14-4): Pierre-Luc Dubois leads the team in goals (10) and shares the points lead (18), however he has dented the scoresheet just once in his last seven games after setting up Gustav Nyquist's power-play tally in a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh on Nov. 29. Nyquist (18 points), in turn, has been held off the scoresheet in four straight games since recording a hat trick versus the Penguins. Oliver Bjorkstrand has also been held without a point in four consecutive contests after erupting for nine (two goals, seven assists) in his previous six.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (22-4-5): Jakub Vrana capitalized on a Ducks' turnover and backhanded home his own rebound early in the third period for his 15th goal of the season, all of which have been recorded at even strength. "You could see, that was the one and it ended up right on my tape so I just tried to finish it up," the 23-year-old told the Washington Post after collecting his 10th point (six goals, four assists) in his last nine contests. Captain Alex Ovechkin has been held off the scoresheet in all three games in December after erupting for five goals and an assist in his previous three contests.

OVERTIME

1. Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom expects to return from an eight-game absence due an upper-body injury, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

2. Columbus owns a 3-6-3 mark on the road this season.

3. Capitals G Braden Holtby sports a 6-0-3 record at home this season and 15-6-2 regular-season mark versus the Blue Jackets.

PREDICTION: Capitals 5, Blue Jackets 2

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