Blue Jackets at Capitals

BLUE JACKETS (21-41-7) at CAPITALS (33-31-7)

Blue Jackets projected lineup
Johnny Gaudreau -- Patrik Laine -- Kirill Marchenko
Kent Johnson -- Boone Jenner -- Jack Roslovic
Liam Foudy -- Cole Sillinger -- Emil Bemstrom
Eric Robinson -- Lane Pederson -- Mathieu Olivier
Nick Blankenburg -- Erik Gudbranson
Tim Berni -- Andrew Peeke
Gavin Bayreuther -- Adam Boqvist
Daniil Tarasov
Michael Hutchinson
Scratched: Elvis Merzlikins
Injured: Sean Kuraly (left oblique strain)
Capitals projected lineup
Alex Ovechkin -- Dylan Strome -- Tom Wilson
Anthony Mantha -- Evgeny Kuznetsov -- Craig Smith
Sonny Milano -- Nicklas Backstrom -- T.J. Oshie
Conor Sheary -- Nic Dowd -- Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Rasmus Sandin -- Nick Jensen
Alexander Alexeyev -- Martin Fehervary
Matt Irwin -- Gabriel Carlsson
Charlie Lindgren
Zach Fucale
Scratched: Aliaksei Protas, Trevor van Riemsdyk
Injured: John Carlson (head), Carl Hagelin (hip), Connor Brown (knee), Darcy Kuemper (upper body)
Status report
Associate coach Pascal Vincent will be behind the Blue Jackets bench for a second game with coach Brad Larsen away from the team due to a death in his family. … Tarasov will make his fourth start in five games; he was pulled during each of his past two starts. ... Kuznetsov and Jensen each will be a game-time decision; Kuznetsov left during the third period of a 5-3 loss at the Minnesota Wild on Sunday with an upper-body injury following a hit by Wild defenseman Mathew Dumba and Jensen has missed two games because of an upper-body injury. ... Lindgren will start for the third time in four games with Kuemper day to day. ... Van Riemsdyk, a defenseman, missed the Capitals morning skate Tuesday to be with his wife, who is expecting the couple's child.