Preview: Blue Jackets at Capitals

BLUE JACKETS (9-4-2) at CAPITALS (11-4-2)
12:30 p.m. ET; SN, FS-O, CSN-DC, NHL.TV

Blue Jackets team scope

Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to start for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is 9-4-1 with a 2.20 goals-against average in 14 starts after winning 15 games in 37 starts last season (15-19-1). Columbus has won three consecutive games and is 7-1-1 in its past nine. After 15 games last season, the Blue Jackets were 4-11-0. The Blue Jackets are 1-for-16 on the power play over the past six games. "Teams have adjusted to us on our power play," coach John Tortorella told The Columbus Dispatch on Saturday. "There are no secrets as how teams are scoring goals in certain situations. They are taking away some things on how we score goals. We have to use some other options."

Capitals team scope

Goalie Braden Holtby is expected to start for the Washington Capitals. He made 25 saves in a 1-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday and is 9-3-1 with a 1.91 GAA in 13 starts. "[The Blue Jackets are] playing a real strong structured game," coach Barry Trotz said Saturday. "They've got balanced lines; they've got some young guys. I think they have a lot of trust in their game. They're just playing a good team game right now."

Blue Jackets projected lineup

Brandon Saad -- Alex Wennberg -- Nick Foligno
Boone Jenner -- Brandon Dubinsky -- Cam Atkinson
Matt Calvert -- William Karlsson -- Josh Anderson
Scott Hartnell -- Lukas Sedlak -- Sam Gagner
Zach Werenski -- David Savard
Ryan Murray -- Jack Johnson
Markus Nutivaara -- Scott Harrington
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney
Scratched: None
Injured: David Clarkson (back), Seth Jones (foot), Dalton Prout (back)

Capitals projected lineup

Alex Ovechkin -- Evgeny Kuznetsov -- Andre Burakovsky
Marcus Johansson -- Nicklas Backstrom -- Justin Williams
Daniel Winnik -- Jay Beagle -- Brett Connolly
Paul Carey -- Zach Sanford -- Tom Wilson
Karl Alzner -- Matt Niskanen
Dmitri Orlov -- John Carlson
Brooks Orpik -- Nate Schmidt
Braden Holtby
Philipp Grubauer
Scratched: Daniel Winnik, Taylor Chorney
Injured: T.J. Oshie (upper body), Lars Eller (upper body)

Status report

Oshie (week to week), Eller (day to day) and Burakovsky (game-time decision) were injured in the first period against the Red Wings. … Jones practiced Saturday for the first time in two weeks since sustaining a hairline fracture in his right ankle and is day to day. … Calvert, who got 36 stitches in his face Friday against the New York Rangers and scored two goals in the 4-2 win, is expected to play. … Columbus recalled forward Markus Hannikainen from Cleveland of the American Hockey League. .. Washington recalled forward Paul Carey from Hershey of the AHL.

Who's hot

Foligno has 16 points in the 15 games. Wennberg has 15. … Beagle has two points in two games, including the game-winning goal against Detroit. … Backstrom has six points in his past three games.