Columbus @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 16, 2019 ) Washington 0, Columbus 3

The Washington Capitals have had their way with most of the league this season except for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and will get another chance to snap a losing streak against the Metropolitan Division rival Friday night at home. The NHL-best Capitals are 10-3-0 in their last 13 games overall and two of the losses came against Columbus, extending a losing streak in the series to four with three goals scored combined.

The wins over Washington have helped ignite a revival by the Blue Jackets, who are enjoying a season-high five-game winning streak and own at least a point in eight straight contests (6-0-2) after a 3-2 victory at the New York Islanders on Monday. “It was a grind and I am really happy with the way we stood in there and kept playing,” Columbus coach John Tortorella told reporters after tying Jacques Martin for 13th all time with 1,294 NHL games coached. “We didn’t lose our composure.” The Capitals have had plenty of time to think about their other loss during the 13-game surge after falling 7-3 despite a 42-17 edge in shots against Boston on Monday, surrendering four goals in the first period. “I think we just shot ourselves in the foot with all our penalties,” Washington center Lars Eller told reporters. “Makes it hard to come back from four, but we weren’t sharp in executing our passes and we got ourselves in trouble.”

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

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (17-14-6): Goalie Joonas Korpisalo (17-10-3, .911 save percentage) was named NHL’s Third Star of the Week on Monday after extending his winning streak to five games with 35 saves against the Islanders. “He gives the team confidence the way he’s playing, and the team responds by playing really well in front of him,” Tortorella told reporters of Korpisalo, who has a .941 SP during his win streak. Center Pierre-Luc Dubois boasts two goals and four assists during a four-game point streak with a plus-5 rating during the run while keeping pace with Gustav Nyquist for the team lead with 26 points.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (26-7-5): John Carlson leads all defensemen in the league with 48 points and is one behind Nashville’s Roman Josi (14) for the most goals for a blue liner after registering an assist Monday. Captain Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the last three games to push his team-leading total to 23 goals and fellow forward Jakub Vrana is second on the team with 15, but has gone seven contests without one. Defensemen Jonas Siegenthaler and Radko Gudas each have three points in the last three games while forward Tom Wilson owns four assists in the same span with 14 penalty minutes.

OVERTIME

1. The Capitals are 0-for-15 with the man advantage the last five games and faced 13 power plays the past two contests, allowing two goals.

2. Columbus RW Oliver Bjorkstrand (12 goals, 23 points) is expected to be lost for 4-to-6 weeks with rib and oblique injuries.

3. Washington G Braden Holtby allowed four goals on 11 shots Monday, but is 15-8-2 with a .916 SP in his career versus the Blue Jackets.

PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Blue Jackets 2