Washington Capitals (16-9-3 35pts) v. Columbus Blue Jackets (16-10-2 34pts)
Time: 7p EST
Station: NBC Sports Washington and Fox Sports Ohio
Preview:
The Washington Capitals take on the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first time in Columbus since the first round of the playoffs when the Capitals stormed back from being down 2 games to none to defeat the Blue Jackets in 6 games. The Capitals will look to win their second straight game after going on a 2 game losing streak.
Washington Capitals:
Projected Lineup:
Injured: T.J. Oshie (concussion), Brooks Orpik (knee surgery), Tom Wilson (concussion)
Keys to the Game:
1. Capitalize on mistakes
A couple weeks ago Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella talked about how this is a game of mistakes and that you need to capitalize on them rather than try to prevent them. While Tortorella is trying to get his team to create more opportunities than give through mistakes, the Blue Jackets still have a lot of issues with their puck management and the Capitals need to take advantage of this fact.
2. Keep your feet moving
The Capitals have not fared well these last few games and will need to keep their feet moving and play a full 60 minutes against a hard working Columbus Blue Jackets.
Columbus Blue Jackets:
Projected Lineup:
Keys to the Game:
1. Minimize the mistakes
The Blue Jackets have been having puck management issues which has caused Tortorella to bench players and change his lineup to send the message that they need to manage the puck better.
