Columbus vs Washington: After the Avalanche, the Blue Jackets will deal with the Capitals

Washington have a back-to-back road trip. After the game in Detroit, Peter Laviolette’s team travels to the Blue Jackets in Columbus. Will the Capitals manage to pick up their second win in a row after coping with a tough schedule? Let’s pick a few bets at once.

Last night, the Avalanche destroyed Vancouver on their home ice. 7-1, the Canucks barely escaped with their legs. This team beat Columbus twice in a row, first on the road and then at home. Brad Larsen’s team has already won 7 games in 10 games, including 8-2 against Arizona and an overtime success over the very strong New York Islanders. The 5th spot that Columbus currently occupies in the Metropolitan Division does not reflect its strength. The Blue Jackets have played fewer games than their opponents. It seems that the Blue Jackets, even in the Metropolitan Division’s competitive environment, are capable of fighting their way into the playoffs.

Clearly, for the Capitals, the game against Columbus is more important than the one against Detroit. The Blue Jackets are the Capitals’ division rivals, so they have effectively doubled any points they earn against them. Nevertheless, a loss in Detroit would have made no sense. Washington pulled it off. Peter Laviolette’s team scored two goals in 20 seconds midway through the first period and simply held the lead. The 2-0 win was a perfect back-to-back for a first game. The goals came from Dmitry Orlov and Lars Eller. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alexander Ovechkin had an assist each.

In the game against Detroit, 26-year-old Canadian goalie Zachary Fucale made his NHL debut. Starting his NHL career with a shutout is probably a dream come true for any goalie.

Vitek Vanecek is injured, so Ilya Samsonov will probably play in Washington’s goaltending against Columbus. The identity of the goalie, however, isn’t likely to matter at all. The Capitals have little chance of winning the game on principle. The Blue Jackets showed in their meetings with Colorado that they are already a serious force. All the more so on home ice against their back-to-back opponents. The best Washington can hope for here is a tie in regulation time.

The prediction is a win for Columbus.

• W1 for 2.75;
• W1 for 2.60;
• W1 in overtime for 9.90.