Capitals Crush Blue Jackets With 5 Goals In First 15 Minutes
The Washington Capitals started their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a bang, scoring five goals in the first 15 minutes of the game. The Capitals took a 5-0 lead into the first intermission, and eventually won the game 6-2.
TJ Oshie scored two goals for the Capitals, and Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Lars Eller each added one. Jakub Voracek scored the Blue Jackets' only two goals.
The Capitals' fast start was a sign of things to come, as they outshot the Blue Jackets 36-23 and won 54% of the faceoffs. Braden Holtby made 21 saves for the Capitals, while Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves for the Blue Jackets.
Oshie's Two Goals Give Capitals Early Lead
The Capitals got on the board early, with TJ Oshie scoring a goal just 2:23 into the game. Oshie took a pass from Alex Ovechkin and fired a shot past Joonas Korpisalo.
Oshie scored his second goal of the game just over three minutes later, making it 2-0 Capitals. This time, Oshie took a pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov and beat Korpisalo with a wrist shot.
Capsitals Add Three More Goals In First Period
The Capitals continued to pour it on in the first period, scoring three more goals in the final ten minutes. Alex Ovechkin scored on a power play at 13:57, Nicklas Backstrom scored at 16:45, and Lars Eller scored at 18:39.
Blue Jackets Get On Board In Second Period
The Blue Jackets finally got on the board in the second period, with Jakub Voracek scoring a goal at 4:09. Voracek took a pass from Oliver Bjorkstrand and beat Braden Holtby with a wrist shot.
Voracek scored again at 14:55, making it 5-2 Capitals. This time, Voracek took a pass from Zach Werenski and beat Holtby with a backhand shot.
Capsitals Hold On For Win
The Capitals held on for the win in the third period, despite being outshot 11-7. Holtby made several key saves in the third period to preserve the Capitals' lead.