Blue Jackets at Capitals
The Columbus Blue Jackets watched the Washington Capitals run away with the league's best record last season and now see their Metropolitan Division rivals blocking their path to history. Columbus can match the longest winning streak in NHL history on Thursday night when it goes for its 17th consecutive victory against the host Capitals.
The Blue Jackets have outscored the opposition 62-27 during their dominant run as they seek to tie the record established by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992-93. “We’re rolling right now,” right wing Cam Atkinson after Columbus downed Edmonton 3-1 on Tuesday for its 16th straight victory -- the second longest in league annals. "We’re definitely having fun right now.” The Blue Jackets will be facing a motivated opponent in the reigning Presidents' Cup Trophy winners, who have won three straight while earning points in 13 of their last 15 games (10-2-3). “I think our guys are up to the challenge,” Washington coach Barry Trotz said. "It’ll be something good pros look and go, ‘They’re a good team. So are we. Let’s see what happens.’”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (27-5-4): While league-best Columbus is receiving contributions from throughout the lineup, Atkinson continues to lead the offensive charge, notching his 10th goal in 12 games Tuesday to boost his team-best total to 18. Atkinson is second to Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby (nine) with eight power-play goals, part of a unit that has 15 man-advantage tallies in the last 13 games. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is riding a 14-start winning streak - three shy of the league record.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (23-9-5): Washington has the requisite firepower to match Columbus, as evidenced by scoring six goals for the second time in three games in Tuesday's come-from-behind victory over Toronto. Captain Alex Ovechkin notched the overtime game-winning Tuesday to bump his season total to 18 while Evgeny Kuznetsov ended a 17-game goalless drought as part of a four-point night. “That looked like the Kuzy that we all know and love, when he’s skating," Trotz observed. "He was dangerous.”
OVERTIME
1. The Blue Jackets own the league's top-ranked power play by a wide margin at 28.3 percent.
2. Capitals G Braden Holtby, who was yanked Tuesday, is 8-3-2 with a 2.83 goals-against average versus the Blue Jackets.
3. Columbus has won both meetings this season -- 2-1 in overtime at home on Nov. 15 and 3-2 at Washington five days later.