That was a gutty performance on the road by the Blue Jackets, but it came up just short.
Sure, this is the NHL and moral victories don't count for anything, but Columbus got a strong effort from goaltender Joonas Korpisalo but couldn't kill a fifth Capitals power play, falling 2-1 in overtime at Capital One Arena.
The Blue Jackets are 2-0-1 against the Capitals in the three meetings this season. Not too bad, all things considered.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| CAPITALS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
This game got to overtime because of Korpisalo, who made some huge saves in the third period and overtime to secure a valuable point for the Blue Jackets, who saw their five-game winning streak end but their point streak extend to nine games (6-0-3).
They dodged a truckload of bullets in this game, but the Blue Jackets couldn't get by one final hurdle. The Capitals swarmed them out of the gate in OT, forcing Nathan Gerbe to take a penalty, and Oshie's goal capped it off.
Jakob Lilja's first NHL goal gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead in the second period, and it stayed that way for a while. Ryan MacInnis got his first point on the play, too, a terrific royal road pass across the net to Lilja.
After Korpisalo had stoned the Capitals on chance after chance, and played a huge role in the Blue Jackets killing three straight Washington power plays, the home team finally broke through early in the third period.
Dean Kukan's attempt to skate out of the zone was thwarted, and Richard Panik made a cross-crease pass to Carl Hagelin, who'd slipped his check in front of the net. The first shot hit the goal post but Hagelin cleaned up the rebound to tie the game, 1-1.
So it's back home now for the Blue Jackets, who have to feel confident with who they've played but will feel a bit empty leaving D.C. tonight.
Injury Update
As you know by now, the list of injured Blue Jackets is...lengthy. For the sake of our happiness, we'll spare you the details in this space.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets return home to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon at Nationwide Arena. Game time is set for 5 p.m.
