Blue Jackets breakdown: Capitals overcome trio of power plays, prevail in OT
They didn’t finish with a win, but the Blue Jackets concluded the preseason with a solid road effort Saturday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals.
Despite Yegor Chinakhov’s NHL-leading sixth goal and two one-goal leads, Columbus couldn’t hold off the Capitals (4-1-1) at Capital One Arena. Dylan Strome’s goal 39 seconds into OT decided an evenly-played, action-packed game.
Chinakhov, Patrik Laine and Sean Kuraly scored for the Blue Jackets (4-2-2). Elvis Merzlikins (28 saves) started in net for Columbus. Anthony Mantha, Alex Ovechkin and Nic Dowd scored for the Capitals, who got 36 saves from Darcy Kuemper.
Here’s a breakdown:
Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals turning point
Five minutes after Kuraly put the Blue Jackets up 3-2 at 3:25 of the second, Dowd tied it 3-3 with a goal that snuck through Merzlikins’ pads. The puck slowly slid across the goal line, but wasn’t the only reason the Capitals bounced back.
Columbus also failed to convert on three straight power plays that followed Dowd’s goal — including the last one that carried over 1:35 into the third. Shots and scoring chances favored the Blue Jackets in the third, but they didn’t get another shot past Kuemper.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals highlights
— Less than a minute after Mantha tipped a shot past Merzlikins to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead 9:56 into the game, Laine tied it 1-1 at 10:37 by capping a solo end-to-end rush. The goal was his third in four preseason games, cleanly beating the Capitals' top goaltender.
— Chinakhov continued doing what he’s done this preseason, scoring his sixth goal with an aggressive move and rocket shot. The tally extended his lead among NHL goal-scorers in the preseason and capped a power play with 5:02 left in the first to give Columbus a 2-1 lead. Getting the puck on the right wing, he carried it toward the slot and ripped a blistering wrist shot past Kuemper.
— Ovechkin went full-on “Ovi” during a Capitals power play with time running out in the first. Getting to the puck above the left circle, he loaded up for a slap shot and blasted one past Merzlikins over the shoulder on the blocker side, tying the game 2-2 with 12.7 seconds left. Merzlikins had a clear sightline, but the puck sailed past him in a blink. He had very little chance to stop it.
— Merzlikins wasn’t nearly as sharp in the first 30-plus minutes as he was for a full game against the Capitals in a 2-1 victory a week earlier at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets’ netminder did improve as the game progressed and me made a couple memorable stops later in the second.
The first was off a bad bounce behind the net, which sent it sliding to the low slot as Merzlikins went to play it behind his net. Merzlikins threw his body in front of Evgeny Kuznetsov’s shot just in the nick of time to keep it out. Later, he made an impressive left-to right stop ona shot by Aliaksei Protas with 2:05 left in the period to keep it 3-3 on what appeared to be a sure goal.
— Johnny Gaudreau’s attempt to split two defenders in overtime led to a Washington 2-on-1 the other direction. Strome buried his goal off Connor Brown’s feed for the Capitals’ victory 39 seconds into OT.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals quotes
“You take the whole camp into account too. It doesn’t just come down to one game.”
— Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen on making his last roster decisions before deciding on the season-opening roster.
“If you ever want to be talked about as a playoff team, you have to be in the green. That’s a reference to (goal) differential. It’s great if you can score, but if you can’t keep ’em out, there’s a real good chance you don’t get to see (the) playoffs. So, that has to be important to all of us. That’s a mind-set.”
— Larsen on the Blue Jackets' need to improve in their own zone.
“Obviously, I really want to be here and be in the NHL, but I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Just work my hardest, compete and see what happens, have faith that wherever I am will be the right spot. Obviously, I’m getting a little anxious, I guess, the last couple days here, but I’ve been trying to be better about that. It’s all exciting.”
— Blue Jackets rookie Kent Johnson on Larsen’s pending decision about which forwards will get the last couple NHL roster spots.
“I thought I’ve had a great camp so far, considering everything I’ve gone through. You can practice all you want, but when you haven’t played a game since early February, almost eight months, you’ve got to get your timing back and it takes a bit of time. It’s a work-in-progress right now.”
— Blue Jackets forward Liam Foudy, who played in the Jackets’ final three preseason games after gaining clearance for contact following shoulder surgery in February.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals takeaways
— This was the final opportunity for players on the NHL roster bubble to make a good last impression on Larsen and for others to bid for roles in the Jackets’ season-opener Wednesday at the Carolina Hurricanes.
Rookies Kent Johnson and Liam Foudy skated on a third line centered by 19-year old Cole Sillinger and the trio couldn’t generate much offense in their 7:30 together. Columbus had 16 forwards left in camp Saturday, but at least two will be trimmed if Larsen keeps seven defensemen on a 23-man roster.
Foudy and Joona Luoto seem most likely for assignment to the Cleveland Monsters, but Foudy was the 18th overall pick in 2018 and would need to clear waivers. If Johnson is assigned to Cleveland, it would be to get him consistent ice time in a prominent role among the Monsters’ top-six forwards – possibly at center. His ice time and role with the Jackets would be more sporadic if Johnson doesn’t have a regular role in the lineup.
“I’m a competitive guy,” Johnson said Saturday. “I want to play at the highest level. I think I can help the Blue Jackets win here this year, so I just want to play in the NHL. I don’t care what positions I play or whatnot. I just want to play in the NHL.”
— Larsen said he was down to making “a couple” final roster decisions after the Jackets’ preseason finale, which was their only true all-NHL test. He indicated those decisions were related to lineup roles rather than NHL roster spots, which is likely to be an ongoing competition for ice time all season.
— Based on the past week’s practices and preseason games, it looks like the Blue Jackets’ top two defensive pairings might be set to open the season. If so, Adam Boqvist will start out playing with Zach Werenski on the top paring, giving the Blue Jackets an offensive-minded duo, and the second pair will be the stout pairing of Vladislav Gavrikov and Andrew Peeke.
“You know the responsibility if you play with (Werenski),” Larsen said. “You’ve got to play against the other team’s best (players). So, we’ll see if (Boqvist) can handle that.”
Boqvist played 18:59 against the Capitals and had two assists plus a minus-2 rating. Peeke skated 20:17 and finished with eight attempts that included four shots on goal as Gavrikov’s partner. .
That leaves the third pairing.
Options prior to Larsen’s final cut include Bean, Gudbranson, Blankenburg and Jiricek. Veteran Ben Harpur is also in camp on a professional tryout offer, but that might be short-lived after he fully recovers from a head injury sustained in a fight during the Jackets’ preseason opener in Pittsburgh.
— Gaudreau, Laine, Werenski, Jakub Voracek and Justin Danforth are still getting used to each other’s tendencies on the Blue Jackets’ top power-play unit. The second group of Boqvist, Jenner, Sillinger, Chinakhov and either Johnson or Jack Roslovic has also looked good the past week.
The second group netted the Jackets’ lone power-play goal Saturday, as Chinakhov capped the first one with a hard wrist shot from distance. Getting improvement on both special teams will be vital to keeping Columbus alive in the postseason chase.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals notes
— Following the Blue Jackets’ morning skate in Columbus on Saturday, Larsen said Gustav Nyquist and Erik Gudbranson are expected to be ready for the season-opener Wednesday. Both are nursing “minor” lower-body injuries. It’s unknown when Gudbranson was injured, but he was a late scratch Thursday against St. Louis and didn’t play Saturday. Nyquist was injured Oct. 1 against the Capitals and missed the final three preseason games.
— Larsen is expecting to open the season with rookie Daniil Tarasov acting as Merzlikins’ backup. Tarasov is about six weeks ahead of veteran Joonas Korpisalo in recovering from hip surgeries both had last season. He played a full game Thursday in the Jackets’ 7-0 romp over St. Louis and recorded a 24-save shutout.
— Blankenburg got the final preseason look playing with Jake Bean on the Jackets' third defense pairing. Rookie David Jiricek took Gudbranson’s place in that role Thursday against the Blues. Blankenburg got the nod Saturday and put three shots on net while leading the team with six blocked shots, including the slapper by Ovechkin in the third.
Columbus Jackets at Washington Capitals three stars
First star
John Carlson, Capitals, defenseman
Washington’s top defenseman logged assists on three of his team’s goals, including a pass to Brown that started the winning 2-on-1 rush in overtime.
Second star
Patrik Laine, Blue Jackets, RW
Laine’s goal in the first quickly countered Mantha’s to knot it at 1-1 and he filled in a number of additional boxes on the scoresheet. Laine tied for the team-high in shots (five) and led the Blue Jackets with nine attempts. He was also credited with a hit, went 1 for 2 on faceoffs and logged 19:36 in ice time that was second-highest for Columbus forwards.
Third star
Yegor Chinakhov, Blue Jackets, left wing
The second-year forward kept doing what got him drafted 21st overall by Columbus in 2020. He scored his sixth goal of the preseason, which is one short of his total in 62 games last season.
Up next for the Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets will open the season Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets lose in OT to Washington Capitals
