Based on their start, the Blue Jackets appeared to be in good stead against the NHL’s best team.
They were taught a hard lesson: you can’t let up for one second in this league, and especially when you’re facing the Washington Capitals.
Despite scoring the opening goal and taking a 10-1 lead in shots halfway through the first period, the game got away from the Blue Jackets in the second period. Their modest two-game winning streak was snapped in Sergei Bobrovsky’s return from a groin injury, with the Capitals taking a 6-3 decision at Nationwide Arena.
Kerby Rychel, who’s had plenty of opportunities to score in an elevated role, finally buried his first NHL goal at 9:30 of the opening period, and the Blue Jackets capitalized on their dominant start.
William Karlsson made a quick play inside his own zone to start a 2-on-1 and Rychel joined him. Karlsson waited until the last possible moment to slide a backhand pass through the crease to Rychel, but it got through and Rychel slammed it into the open side.
That lead, albeit a deserved one, did not last long.
Not even three minutes later, the Capitals’ No. 1 line embarked on a 3-on-2 rush up the ice and they made it look easy. Alex Ovechkin carried the puck across the line, slid it to TJ Oshie and then Oshie slipped it to Nicklas Backstrom, who had a wide open net to tie the game.
Then, with four minutes left in the period, old friend Jason Chimera finished off a great feed from Marcus Johansson to send the Capitals into the break with a 2-1 lead.
“They can put the puck in the net, and they thrive off turnovers,” defenseman Ryan Murray said. “We knew that coming in, but they picked off a few pucks and their power play was really good tonight.”
If they could have regrouped in the intermission (after a strong first period despite the score), the Blue Jackets were only faced with a one-goal deficit, but much of the second period damage was self-inflicted.
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