The Columbus Blue Jackets would move into a first-place tie with the Washington Capitals with a regulation win and a regulation loss by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who play at the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Columbus is two points behind the Washington Capitals and one behind Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets play the second of a back to back after a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. "The Leafs got to a level faster than us and that can't be the case," captain Nick Foligno told the Columbus Dispatch. "We're a team that needs to play at a high level all the time. That's what's great about this game is we have a chance in Washington to get back on track, and we've done a good job of that all season." Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will start. Bobrovsky is 7-0-0 with eight goals allowed and three shutouts in his past seven starts, and first in the NHL with 39 wins, a 2.04 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. Columbus is 4-1-0 in its past five games and 12-4-1 in its past 17.