Game #11 Preview: Jackets face another hot team in the Capitals

Saturday, November 2, 2024 – 5:00 EDT
Capital One Arena, Washington DC
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio; Radio: 93.3 FM

Columbus Blue Jackets (5-4-1, 9 points, 5th Metro, 8th East)

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Washington Capitals (7-2-0, 14 points, 3rd Metro, 4th East)

For the second day in a row, the Blue Jackets are facing a hot team. This time it’s the Washington Capitals. This should be an interesting game for several reasons. One, both teams are exceeding expectations. Two, both teams are winning games in similar fashion. The Jackets and Capitals are second and third in the league, respectively, in shooting percentage.

The biggest difference between the two teams thus far are the possession stats. The Capitals are top three in CF% and FF%. They have been possessing the puck and limiting their opponents’ chances. The Jackets will need to play much better than they did last night in that regard if they want to come out victorious.

Player to Watch

Dylan Strome

I really wanted the Blue Jackets to sign Strome when he was a free agent in 2022. He decided to sign a one-year contract with the Capitals and then signed a five-year extension in 2023. So far, it has worked out. He has 145 points in 172 games as a Capital, including a team-leading 13 points in 9 games this season.

Jackets Notes

An unconfirmed report from Aaron Portzline says David Jiricek may return to the lineup tonight. It’s unclear who would be out to make room … Hopefully, Labanc returns to the lineup as well … It would be nice to see a shake up in the bottom-six given how that group played last night … Expect Tarasov to get the nod … The lineup below is more of a wishlist than it is an actual lineup. We likely won’t know anything more until warmups.

The Other Bench

The Capitals are hot. They have won seven of their first nine games, including wins against the Rangers, Stars, and Golden Knights. Like the Blue Jackets, their high shooting percentage has helped them out quite a bit, especially given that their goaltending has been sub-.900.

What has been their key to success so far? Shot suppression. They are second in the league in 5v5 shots against per 60 at 23.7. They lead the league in 5v5 expected goals against per 60 at 2.04.

Season Series

11/02/24 CBJ @ WSH
12/12/24 WSH @ CBJ
04/12/25 WSH @ CBJ
04/13/25 CBJ @ WSH

Stats

Projected Lines

Columbus Blue Jackets

Washington Capitals