Caps Finish Homestand With Victory Over Jackets
Balanced Attack Fuels Home Triumph
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Washington Capitals capped off their homestand with a 4-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night at Capital One Arena. The win improved the Caps' record to 21-12-6 this season and extended their home winning streak to four games.
Four different players scored for the Capitals, including Alex Ovechkin, who netted his 23rd goal of the season and moved into sole possession of fourth place on the NHL's all-time goals list. Dmitry Orlov, T.J. Oshie, and Conor Sheary also found the back of the net for Washington.
Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves for the Capitals, while Elvis Merzlikins stopped 31 shots for the Blue Jackets.
After a scoreless first period, the Capitals took a 1-0 lead just 54 seconds into the second period when Orlov blasted a shot from the point past Merzlikins. Columbus tied the game just over two minutes later when Boone Jenner scored on a rebound, but the Caps answered back just over five minutes later when Oshie tipped in a shot from Evgeny Kuznetsov.
The third period was all Washington, as Ovechkin gave the Caps a 3-1 lead with a power-play goal at 4:25 and Sheary added an empty-net goal with 1:03 remaining.
With the victory, the Capitals improved to 14-3-1 at home this season. They will now embark on a three-game road trip, starting with a matchup against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.