The Washington Capitals continued their strong stretch with a 5–1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night, scoring five unanswered goals — including three in the final minute of the second period — to put the game away early. Washington has now won four of its last five, while Columbus has lost three of its last four during an injury-filled stretch. The Blue Jackets were already without Kirill Marchenko (upper body) before losing Mathieu Olivier in the first period and Zach Werenski late in the second, and the game quickly slipped out of reach after those setbacks.
1st Period — Capitals Start Strong Against Blue Jackets
Columbus entered the game already missing one of their most important forwards, Kirill Marchenko, who left the morning skate with an upper-body injury. Without their most dangerous shooter, the Blue Jackets lacked offensive punch from the start, and Washington quickly took advantage.
The Capitals controlled most of the opening period, outshooting Columbus 10–7 and leading the shot attempts 19–14. They spent more time in the offensive zone, moved the puck cleaner, and forced the Jackets into rushed exits.
Jakob Chychrun opened the scoring at 6:05, jumping on a loose puck in the slot after Leonard was poked off it, and beating Merzlikins blocker-side from the left circle. Despite being under pressure, Merzlikins made several key stops to keep the score at 1–0 and prevent the period from getting out of hand.
Columbus had a brief push midway through the frame, but without Marchenko and with limited scoring depth, they struggled to create dangerous chances. Things got worse when Mathieu Olivier left the game late in the period with an upper-body injury, leaving the team even thinner up front.
Washington carried a 1–0 lead into the intermission, with the Jackets already down two forwards and chasing the game.
2nd Period — Total Breakdown for Columbus
The second period is where the game slipped away from Columbus, and fast. Washington completely took control of the momentum, outshooting the Blue Jackets 12–7, driving the pace, and winning most of the puck battles. The Capitals’ forecheck caused repeated turnovers, and Columbus struggled to exit the zone cleanly.
At 16:29, Washington doubled the lead. Justin Sourdif gained the zone with speed on the right side, fed Aliaksei Protas, and Protas immediately zipped a perfect cross-ice pass to Tom Wilson for a one-timer into an open net. Columbus’ coverage broke down on the backdoor, leaving Merzlikins with no chance.
Then everything collapsed in the final minute.
At 19:45, the Capitals made it 3–0 on the power play. Jakob Chychrun stepped into a point shot and beat Merzlikins cleanly through traffic. Columbus failed to clear the puck twice on the penalty kill, and Washington made them pay.
Just 12 seconds later, at 19:57, Washington scored again to make it 4–0. Off an offensive-zone draw, Justin Sourdif won the faceoff to Ovechkin, who quickly moved it to John Carlson for a one-timer from the slot. That goal was a backbreaker and sucked all momentum out of the Columbus bench.
The period ended with Columbus trailing 4–0, losing Zach Werenski to an upper-body injury late in the frame, and generating almost nothing offensively. Their best looks came from point shots, and Washington controlled the entire pace of play.
Ivan Provorov summed it up:
“If we went into the second intermission 1-0… anything could’ve happened. But when you go in down four, it’s tough to come back.”
3rd Period — Washington Finishes the Job
The Capitals carried their momentum straight into the third period and struck early. At 4:05, Martin Fehérváry stepped into a one-timer from the right point that cleanly beat Merzlikins, extending Washington’s lead to 5–0. Columbus was caught running around in coverage, still adjusting after losing Zach Werenski late in the second period, and the Capitals exploited the gap immediately.
Columbus finally got on the board at 5:50. Denton Mateychuk jumped on a rebound in the right circle and snapped it past Logan Thompson to make it 5–1. It was one of the rare sequences where the Blue Jackets sustained pressure in the offensive zone.
Outside of that goal, Columbus didn’t generate much. Washington locked down the neutral zone, won puck battles, and limited the Blue Jackets to low-danger shots. Thompson made the routine saves he needed, and the Capitals closed out the game without giving Columbus any realistic chance to get back into it.
The Blue Jackets were missing Marchenko from the start, lost Olivier in the first, and then Werenski in the second — and the lack of bodies showed. Washington controlled the pace, dictated the structure, and closed out a convincing win.
“We worked tonight,” Evason said. “We just didn’t have a lot … our true game wasn’t there tonight. And then you get banged up a little bit and then, obviously, things snowball from there.”
NOTES
- Kirill Marchenko (CBJ) was a late scratch after leaving the morning skate with an upper-body injury.
- Evason said Olivier and Werenski will be evaluated Tuesday.
- The two Capitals goals scored 12 seconds apart (Chychrun, Carlson) were the fastest two by defensemen in franchise history; previous mark was 20 seconds (Green & Picard, Jan. 3, 1979).
Game Stats
| Category | Columbus | Washington |
| Shots on Goal | 23 | 31 |
| Faceoff % | 55% (22/40) | 45% (18/40) |
| Power Play | 0/2 (0%) | 1/3 (33.3%) |
| Penalty Minutes | 6 | 4 |
| Hits | 21 | 11 |
| Blocked Shots | 10 | 12 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 6 |
Three Stars of the Game
- Jakob Chychrun (WSH) — 2 G 2 PTS
- John Carlson (WSH) — 1 G, 1 A 2 PTS
- Tom Wilson (WSH) — 1 G, 1 A 2 PTS
My Final Thoughts
This one slipped away fast for Columbus. After giving up five unanswered goals, including two in the final 12 seconds of the second period, the Jackets never recovered. The effort came in flashes, but Washington controlled the pace, the puck, and the scoreboard.
The bigger story, though, is the growing injury list. Columbus is 4-3-3 in their last 10, but they’re now playing without captain Boone Jenner and could be missing Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko, and Mathieu Olivier if their upper-body injuries keep them out. If those absences stretch into weeks, the upcoming slate — especially with Toronto next — could get rough quickly. Depth is being tested, and tonight showed how thin the margin already is.
Next Game
Wednesday, Nov. 26 — 7:00 PM EDT
Columbus Blue Jackets host the Toronto Maple Leafs
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