Preview: Blue Jackets aim to end skid for their dads in D.C.

GAME 54: BLUE JACKETS (27-22-4) AT CAPITALS (31-17-5)
Location:Capital One Arena, 7 P.M., Friday
TV:Fox Sports Ohio/Fox Sports Go; NBCSWA
Radio:97.1 FM & BlueJackets.com
The schedule has become a little daunting for the Blue Jackets, who are winless in four straight games and clinging to the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The next three games are against Metropolitan Division opponents, including both ends of a weekend back-to-back that begins with a rematch Friday against the Capitals. Seven of the Jackets' next eight games will be divisional matchups, and the next nine are against Eastern Conference teams.
The upside is that it's a chance to quickly climb back into a good position within the division standings, which are tightly packed. The downside is the four-game skid (0-3-1), which was preceded by an extended stretch of .500 hockey, could continue to grow.
They're mostly back to full strength, but the margin for error is ultra-thin right now.
"Eventually, we're going to have to go on a run," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "These teams that are bunched, the team that gets off on a run here is going to solidify themselves into a [playoff] spot. Eventually we're going to have to do that, but we're just going to take it one day at a time, and not look at the big picture."

They're trying to erase the memory of their last game, as well.
Nicklas Backstrom scored the game-winning goal for. The Capitals on Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena with just 43 seconds left in the third period, giving Washington a 3-2 win after Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky had tied it five minutes earlier.
Tortorella described it as a "kick in the stomach," afterward, but said resilience will be the key for Columbus to break out of the current funk.
"It's going to be a grind," Tortorella said. "I'm not sure where we come out at the end, but it's certainly an opportunity to find out something about yourself as a coach, an individual coach and a coaching staff; individual player and team concept as a team, to find out what you can do here. Because every night, it's going to be highlighted. Every game is going to be an important game."
SERIES RECORD
2017-18 Season: (0-2-0). This is the third of four games this season. The Capitals won, 4-3, on Dec. 2 in the first game and 3-2 on Tuesday in the second meeting. The finale of the series for this season will be held Feb. 26 at Nationwide Arena.
All-time (W-L-T-O): 11-16-1-6 overall; 4-9-1-3 at Capital One Arena
WHO'S HOT
Blue Jackets: David Savard scored the opening goal of the game Tuesday against the Capitals. It was Savard's fourth goal of the season, and second in a four-game window.
Capitals: Kuznetsov assisted on Washington's first goal Tuesday against the Blue Jackets, which extended his point streak to a season-high five games. Kuznetsov has seven points (one goal, six assists) during the streak.
EYES ON: THE BLUE JACKETS
EYES ON: THE CAPITALS
PROJECTED LINEUPS
BLUE JACKETS
Forwards
Artemi Panarin - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Cam Atkinson
Oliver Bjorkstrand - Alex Wennberg - Nick Foligno
Boone Jenner - Brandon Dubinsky - Josh Anderson
Matt Calvert - Lukas Sedlak - Jussi Jokinen
Defensemen
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Jack Johnson - Markus Nutivaara
Dean Kukan - David Savard
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Jeff Zatkoff
Others: Scott Harrington
Injured reserve: Ryan Murray (upper body), Sony Milano (torn oblique)
CAPITALS
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Tom Wilson
Andre Burakovsky - Nicklas Backstrom - T.J. Oshie
Jakub Vrana - Lars Eller - Brett Connolly
Devante Smith-Pelly - Jay Beagle - Chandler Stephenson
Defensemen
Christian Djoos - John Carlson
Matt Niskanen - Dmitri Orlov
Brooks Orpik - Madison Bowey
Goaltenders
Braden Holtby
Philipp Grubauer
Others: Taylor Chorney, Alex Chiasson
Injured Reserve:None