Could the Marchenko-less Blue Jackets get a win over their Metro rival?

First Period

The Capitals struck early when Chychrun got to a loose puck in the offensive zone and made a quick move to create separation from Lundestrom before shooting a shot past a fallen Fabbro and Elvis.

WAS Goal 0 – 1 Chychrun (Leonard, Lapierre) 6:05

Well structured play from both sides prevented any grade A chances either way, the rest of the first was fairly even if uneventful.

Mathieu Olivier was seen headed to the locker room late in this period. He did not return to this game.

Second Period

Jackets got a chance to even the score early this period when Monahan was tripped in the neutral zone. The power play had decent zone time and a few good looks but couldn’t solve Thompson. The end of the power play was also the end of the offense for the Jackets outside a Miles Wood partial rush. The Capitals flexed their structure and good d corp. Washington wasn’t able to create much (more than Columbus though) but they managed their gaps well and prevented anything the other way, stymying the forecheck and transition game of the Jackets.

Late in the period, a stretch pass for Chinakhov seemed to take a bad bounce and the Capitals D flipped it back the other way to Sourdif, who used his speed to get around Christiansen near the net before he passed to Protas who then found Wilson back side to extend the Caps’ lead.

WAS Goal 0 – 2 Wilson (Protas, Sourdif) 16:29

Inexplicably Brendan Gaunce in the final minute took a holding penalty in the offensive zone. The Caps quickly scored on the ensuing power play on an unscreened wrister from high in the zone that beat Elvis.

WAS PP Goal 0 – 3 Chychrun (Wilson) 19:45

To complete the disaster of a finish in the second, the Capitals would convert on a set play from an offensive draw to score yet another late in the period, 12 seconds after the power play goal.

WAS Goal 0 – 4 Carlson (Ovechkin, Sourdif) 19:57

3 goals against in under 4 minutes to close the period spelled the end of competitiveness in this contest.

Third Period

It was noted immediately to start this period that Zach Werenski was not on the ice next to Provorov nor on the bench. It was later confirmed that he, along with Olivier, had sustained upper body injuries and would not return.

Four minutes in the Capitals beat Elvis with their 4th goal from a D man tonight. From high in the zone Fehervary beat Elvis between the wickets.

WAS Goal 0 – 5 Fehervary (McMichael, Carlson) 4:05

Shortly after, a good effort from Brendan Gaunce created a scoring opportunity that ultimately ended up on the stick of Mateychuk who beat Thompson for the second time this season.

CBJ Goal 1 – 5 Mateychuk (Gaunce, Christiansen) 5:50

A few successful penalty kills, an unsuccessful power play, but nothing much more of note to end this contest.

Final Thoughts

If you, like I, had thought that Marchenko had an outsized impact on the offense of this team, that was more than confirmed tonight. The Capitals are a well coached team with a mobile defense but there was almost no threat from any of the forwards tonight. Fantilli created shots, Wood created something with his speed once, and Sillinger and KJ had some nice puck handling moments but had no one to make a play off of.

Echoing seasons past, Elvis started well in this one but once the cracks started to show the dam broke. The lack of offense ultimately would’ve doomed this team, but Elvis didn’t give the team a chance. He didn’t earn more ice time with his performance, but I also felt he looked rusty. I wonder if the coaching staff should consider a return to the more even rotation from earlier in the season, we’ll need both goalies to play well this year.

This stretch of mostly road games could not come to an end soon enough. This team needs some time at home to rest, and practice to figure out these mid-game collapses. Oh, and Z and Marchenko need to get healthy as soon as possible.

Up Next

The Blue Jackets welcome the Toronto maple Leafs who are, checks notes, last in the Eastern Conference Standings to Nationwide Wednesday at 7pm.