Washington @ Columbus preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2019 ) Columbus 2, Washington 1

The Washington Capitals attempt to put more distance between themselves and the Columbus Blue Jackets when they begin a six-game road trip on Tuesday against their Metropolitan Division rivals. Washington moved four points ahead of Columbus for second place in the division with Monday's 6-4 home triumph over Los Angeles.

Evgeny Kuznetsov recorded two goals and two assists while captain Alex Ovechkin netted his league-leading 38th tally and set up two others as the Capitals completed their season-high six-game homestand at 4-1-1. The 33-year-old Ovechkin is closing in on the 10th 40-goal season of his career for the Capitals, who have lost three straight on the road. Columbus returns home from a perfect three-game road trip that concluded Saturday with a 4-3 triumph in Vegas. Cam Atkinson scored twice in a span of 2:33 late in the third period to erase a deficit and produce a victory for the Blue Jackets, who have dropped three in a row at home.

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

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (31-18-7): Kuznetsov is riding a four-game point streak during which he has collected five goals and as many assists. The 26-year-old Russian has registered five multi-point performances over his last eight contests. Center Nicklas Backstrom has been kept off the scoresheet in four of his last five games and has been caught by Kuznetsov for second on the team in scoring (53 points).

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (31-20-3): Atkinson increased his team-leading total to 31 tallies on Saturday, reaching the 30-goal plateau for just the second time in his career. The 29-year-old right wing is four goals away from matching the personal best he recorded in 2016-17 and needs three game-winners to equal the career high of nine he set that same season. Artemi Panarin, who has collected 11 points over his last seven contests and 296 in 295 career games, has not been kept off the scoresheet in back-to-back matches since Dec. 15 and 20.

OVERTIME

1. Atkinson's next appearance will be the 500th of his NHL career.

2. Washington RW Brett Connolly has scored four goals in as many contests following a 13-game drought.

3. Columbus recalled LW Eric Robinson from Cleveland of the American Hockey League, assigned C Mark Letestu to the Monsters and traded D Blake Siebenaler to Pittsburgh for a 2019 conditional draft pick.

PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 2