#### **BLUE JACKETS (12-24-2) at CAPITALS (22-14-6)****Blue Jackets projected lineup**Johnny Gaudreau -- Kent Johnson -- Emil BemstromGustav Nyquist -- Jack Roslovic -- Patrik LaineEric Robinson -- Sean Kuraly -- Mathieu OlivierLiam Foudy -- Cole Sillinger -- Kirill MarchenkoVladislav Gavrikov -- Andrew PeekeTim Berni -- Erik GudbransonGavin Bayreuther -- Marcus BjorkElvis MerzlikinsJoonas Korpisalo***Scratched:*** *Carson Meyer, Adam Boqvist****Injured:** Jakub Voracek (concussion), Nick Blankenburg (ankle), Boone Jenner (thumb), Yegor Chinakhov (ankle), Daniil Tarasov (upper body)***Capitals projected lineup**Alex Ovechkin -- Nicklas Backstrom -- Tom WilsonDylan Strome -- Evgeny Kuznetsov -- T.J. OshieSonny Milano -- Lars Eller -- Marcus JohanssonConor Sheary -- Nic Dowd -- Garnet HathawayErik Gustafsson -- Trevor van RiemsdykDmitry Orlov -- Nick JensenMartin Fehervary -- Matt IrwinDarcy KuemperCharlie Lindgren***Scratched:*** *Alexander Alexeyev, Anthony Mantha, Nicolas Aube-Kubel****Injured:****Connor Brown (torn ACL), Carl Hagelin (hip surgery), Beck Malenstyn (upper body), John Carlson (face)***Status report**Backstrom and Wilson will make their season debuts. Backstrom was activated from long-term injured reserve on Saturday after recovering from resurfacing surgery on his left hip on June 17. Wilson was activated from injured reserve after recovering from a surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on May 24. Washington assigned forward Aliaksei Protas to Hershey of the American Hockey League and placed forward Joe Snively on waivers with the intention of assigning him to Hershey if he isn't claimed by another team. … Carlson, a defenseman, who has not played since being struck in the right side of his face with a shot against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 23, was placed on long-term injured reserve. … Robinson could return after missing the past two games because of an upper-body injury. … Mantha, a forward, could be a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
