Blue Jackets Blast Caps 5-1; Alex Ovechkin Scores #597

Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals were trounced by the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 Monday night in Columbus. The Jackets and Caps exchanged power play goals in the early moments of the opening frame before Columbus reeled off three consecutive goals to make it 4-1 at the first intermission. After a scoreless second period the Blue Jackets would add an empty goal late to win it 5-1. The Caps return to action Tuesday night when they host the Ottawa Senators at Capital One Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.

Braden Holtby (28-13-4, 2.95 GAA, .909 sv%) got the start between the pipes for the Capitals. Sergei Bobrovsky (26-20-5, 2.44 GAA, .920 sv%) got the start in goal for the Blue Jackets. The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Capitals:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson
Connolly-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Stephenson-Eller-Burakovsky
DSP-Beagle-Chiasson

Kempny-Carlson
Orlov-Niskanen
Orpik-Djoos

Scratches: Madison Bowey, Jakub Vrana, Jakub Jerabek were the healthy scratches for the contest.

FIRST PERIOD
The Blue Jackets opened the scoring with a power play goal by Artemi Panarin at 5:31 of the opening frame.

The Capitals would answer with a power play goal by Alex Ovechkin at 6:57 of the first period.

The Blues Jackets would retake the lead moments later with a goal by Sonny Milano at 7:53 of the first period.

The Blue Jackets would make it 3-1 with a goal from Mark Letestu at 14:32 of the first period.

The Blues Jackets would make it 4-1 with another power play goal by Seth Jones at 18:17 of the first period.

The period would conclude with the Blue Jackets holding a 4-1 lead. Columbus led in shots on goal 16-7 for the first 20 minutes.

SECOND PERIOD
Philipp Grubauer replaced Braden Holtby for the sixth time this season to start the middle frame. The period began with 4-on-4 play for the first two minutes following a dust-up at the end of the first period. The Capitals then had a three-minute man-advantage as a result of a game misconduct for the Blue Jackets’ Matt Calvert. Calvert cross-checked Alex Ovechkin to the face which drew blood.

But the Caps could not capitalize on the three-minute power play. There would be no scoring in the middle frame. Philipp Grubauer played well once again in relief.

Columbus outshot Washington 9-8 for the middle frame, and led 25-15 after two periods of play.

THIRD PERIOD
A rather sleepy final frame concluded with an empty net goal by the Blue Jackets to make it 5-1.