Round 1 - Game 5
Series Tied 2-2
Sat. April 21 Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Place: Capital One Arena
Time: 3:00 p.m.
TV: NBC, NBCSN, SN, TVAS
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
NHL.COM for Live Box Score
Columbus Blue Jackets 97-44-28-9 Last Game: Apr 19 Lost 4-1 Against Capitals
Washington Capitals 105-49-26-7 Last Game: Apr 19 Won 4-1 Against Blue Jackets
8-Ovechkin 92-Kuznetsov 43-Wilson
18-Stephenson 19-Bäckström 77-Oshie
10-Connolly 20-Eller 25-Smith-Pelly
13-Vrana 83-Beagle 39-Chiasson
9-Orlov 2-Niskanen
6-Kempny 74-Carlson
44-Orpik 29-Djoos
70-Holtby (starter)
31-Grubauer
-- SCRATCH --
65-Burakovsky ("upper-body" injury, out for rest of series, needs surgery)
63-Gersich
72-Boyd
64-Pinho
28-Jerabek
22-Bowey
1-Copley
-- INJURED RESERVE --
-- 1st Powerplay Unit --
20-Eller 19-Bäckström 92-Kuznetsov
8-Ovechkin 74-Carlson
-- 2nd Powerplay Unit --
13-Vrana 18-Stephenson 10-Connolly
2-Niskanen 9-Orlov
Referees: Gord Dwyer (#19), Chris Rooney (#5)
Linesmen: Scott Cherrey (#50), Kiel Murchison (#79)
Columbus’s expected lineup Forwards Artemi Panarin - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Cam Atkinson
Boone Jenner - Alexander Wennberg - Thomas Vanek
Oliver Bjorkstrand - Nick Foligno - Josh Anderson
Brandon Dubinsky - Mark Letestu - Matt Calvert
Defensemen Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Ian Cole - David Savard
Ryan Murray - Markus Nutivaara
Goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky (starter)
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratches:
Markus Hannikainen
Sonny Milano
Alex Broadhurst
Taylor Chorney
Jack Johnson
Scott Harrington
Dean Kukan
Lukas Sedlak (upper body)
1st Period10:08 Jackets SH GOAL Calvert 1-0 CBJ
13:22 GOAL 19-Bäckström, assists 18-Stephenson & 6-Kempny 1-1 TIE
2nd Period03:21 GOAL 92-Kuznetsov, assist 9-Orlov 2-1 WSH
04:45 Jackets GOAL Calvert 2-2 TIE
16:42 PP GOAL 77-Oshie, assists 74-Carlson & 19-Bäckström 3-2 WSH
3rd Period02:30 Jackets GOAL Bjorkstrand 3-3 ITE
OT11:53 GOAL 19-Bäckström, assists 9-Orlov & 18-Stephenson 4-3 WSH
FINAL: 4-3 WSH
by Isabelle Khurshudyan, Roman Stubbs and Mike Hume April 21 at 9:58 AM
Blue Jackets-Capitals Game 5: Can Caps keep it rolling and take the series lead?
Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals bring the series back to Washington tied at two. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
Game 5
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Washington Capitals
Series: Tied at 2-2
Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, Capital One Arena
TV: NBC
Top story lines
Special teams have been key: Washington has scored seven power play goals in four games, which included a goal from T.J. Oshie in the second period of Thursday’s 4-1 win in Game 4. More crucial to the Capitals has been their penalty kill; after giving up four goals in eight power plays to Columbus in the first two games of the series, it has held the Blue Jackets scoreless on power plays each of the past two games. Washington had to kill just two power plays in Game 4, controlling the puck and showing more discipline than it had in its first two games of the series.
“I think the first couple of games there was a ton of special teams so the five-on-five you don’t get that flow, you don’t get that momentum. I think [in Game 4] we were rolling the lines over,” forward Tom Wilson. “You feel the puck more, you get into it, you get some hits and everyone is feeling a little bit more comfortable. In the first period when there’s four or five penalties some guys don’t even go on the ice.”
Caps must improve at home: Washington returns home after knotting the series with a pair of road wins in a difficult environment in Columbus, which included one of its most complete performances of the season in Game 4. The Capitals must find a way to play better at home if they are to advance; they have lost five of their last six postseason games at Capital One Arena, which included pair of overtime losses to the Blue Jackets last week and three losses to Pittsburgh in last year’s second round.
Braden Holtby is locked in: After being benched in favor of Philipp Grubauer to begin the series, only to be called upon late in Game 2, Holtby has responded with a pair of promising performances. He was especially solid in a 4-1 win in Game 4, which marked the first time since November that he had given up just one goal in a game. Washington’s defense also picked it up with a cleaner showing – Columbus had just two power play opportunities, while star forward Artemi Panarin was held in check – but Holtby did his part with 24 saves.
“I thought we were strong in front of the net. I think they did a really good job of creating traffic, not wasting shots. Most of the shots they got had some sort of net presence or something like that from the end zone standpoint and I thought our guys did a great job of blocking shots, tying up sticks, limiting deflections, making those plays that can become dangerous less dangerous by battling and being full committed,” Holtby said. “All six of them and our forwards to in those positions I thought did a great job of that. We know we’re going to have to do more of that to succeed in Game 5.”
Players to watch
Nicklas Backstrom: The veteran forward posted five assists in the first three games but all of his scoring has come off the power play. Washington needs more from him in even-strength situations and capitalize on Columbus’s Alex Wennberg’s absence from the lineup. Washington received more production from its top line– including goals from Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson – but could still use a spark from Backstrom and the second line at five-on-five.
Seth Jones: Jones wasn’t among the finalists announced for the Norris Trophy — given to the league’s top defenseman – but he remains capable of altering this series with his two-way game. Not only does Jones offer physicality in the back-end (15 blocks and nine hits in the series) alongside Zach Werenski, but he’s also proven that he can produce plenty of offense – he scored a crucial goal in Game 1 and has taken seven shots over his last three games. He’s also become more of presence in the locker room – Blue Jackets Coach John Tortorella said this week that Jones had taken to mentoring Werenski – and his leadership will be counted on as Columbus tries to win its first playoff series in franchise history.
Pregame reading
Immerse yourself in the Capitals’ postseason with The Post’s coverage of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs:
John Carlson continues to build on stellar postseason reputationAndre Burakovsky needs surgery, out for rest of the first roundWith minutes piling up for Capitals and Blue Jackets, fatigue could become a factorSeth Jones is following his father’s path — on ice, not the basketball courtThe D.C. sports trifecta didn’t happen, but Caps’ double-OT win was a jackpot moment‘Weird things happen’: Lars Eller’s game-winner sums up Capitals playoff hockeyCapitals’ Tom Wilson knows he has to be smarter and stay out of the penalty boxCapitals-Blue Jackets Game 3: In a playoff plot twist, Washington’s familiar script ends with a winHistory not on Caps’ side, but they’ve erased 2-0 hole against John Tortorella beforeAs Capitals run into another ‘hot goalie,’ they face their own net dilemmaPenalties are a problem for Capitals, but a different stat could signal disasterCapitals’ Andre Burakovsky will miss at least two games with upper-body injurySergei Bobrovsky is ‘dead on his game’ as Columbus staggers Washington in Game 2Barry Svrluga: If the Capitals don’t get smarter, it soon will be too late for them to learn their lessonCapitals’ Kuznetsov, Blue Jackets’ Panarin shared a rink in Russia and the NHL playoff spotlight
