Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3 Monday night in Columbus. The win closed-out their first-round series with the Blue Jackets, 4-2. The Capitals will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in round 2, beginning later this week.

Dmitry Orlov opened the scoring with a bomb from the top of the slot to give the Caps a 1-0 lead at the first intermission. The Blue Jackets would tie it with a tally from Foligno in the middle frame, but Alex Ovechkin would notch two tally’s in the second half of the middle frame to give the Caps a 3-1 lead at the second intermission. The Blue Jackets would score an early goal in the final frame before Devante Smith-Pelly and Chandler Stephenson registered tallies, making it 5-2 midway through the final frame. Nick Foligno would score his second goal of the game to make it 5-3 midway through the final frame. Lars Eller would add an empty net goal for the 6-3 win.

STARTERS
Braden Holtby (3-1, 1.66 GAA, .936 sv%) started in goal for the Capitals. Sergei Bobrovsky (2-3, 2.85 GAA, .912 sv%) started between the pipes for the Blue Jackets. The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Capitals:

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

Kempny-Carlson
Orlov-Niskanen
Orpik-Djoos

Scratches: Jakub Jerebek, Travis Boyd, Shane Gersich, Madison Bowey and Andre Burakovsky (Upper Body).

FIRST PERIOD
The Capitals would light the lamp first with a bomb from Dmitry Orlov at 12:12 of the opening frame.

That would be all of the scoring in the first 20 minutes. The Capitals outshot the Blue Jackets 10-7 for the opening frame. Their were no power plays.

SECOND PERIOD
The Blue Jackets would tie the score with a wrister from Nick Foligno at 8:40 of the middle frame. The goal followed a solid penalty kill by the Jackets which included 5-on-3 time.

The Capitals would regain the lead with a goal from Alex Ovechkin at 12:50 of the middle frame. Brooks Orpik and Christian Djoos were credited with the helpers.

Ovechkin would strike again with a power play goal at 18:23 of the second period. John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov were credited with the assists.

The second period concluded with the Capitals leading 3-1. The Blue Jackets outshot the Caps 14-12 for the middle frame. The Capitals led 22-21 in SOG after 40 minutes of play.

THIRD PERIOD
The Blue Jackets would cut the lead to one with a goal from Pierre-Luc Dubois at 2:25 of the final frame.

The Capitals would storm right back. Devante Smith-Pelley would give the Capitals a 4-2 lead at 3:56 of the final period.

Chandler Stephenson would make it 5-2 with a short-handed score at 5:30 of the third period. Jay Beagle and Brooks Orpik would be credited with the assists.

The Blue Jackets would strike back with a goal from Nick Foligno, his second of the game, at 8:22 of the final frame, making it 5-3.

The Capitals would add an empty net goal from Lars Eller and hang on for the 6-3 win.

SHAVINGS

• The Caps have won four-straight playoff games to win a series for the second time in franchise history.
• The Capitals advanced to the Second Round for the fourth straight postseason dating to 2015, the longest active streak in the NHL.
• Chandler Stephenson scores a shorthanded goal for his first career playoff goal.
• John Carlson matched the franchise record for points (9p: 1g, 8a) by a defenseman in a playoff series (Kevin Hatcher, 1988 Division Semifinal vs. Philadelphia: 9p, 5g, 4a).
• The Capitals have recorded a power play goal in every game of this series.
• Game photos are here.
• The NHL box score is here.

SCENES FROM COLUMBUS

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh7iVDYHFOP/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh7uejnH8Th/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh7uhCphhRp/