CAPITALS (16-9-4) at BLUE JACKETS (11-17-5)
7 p.m. ET; MNMT, BSOH
Capitals projected lineup
Alex Ovechkin -- Dylan Strome -- Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas -- Connor McMichael -- Anthony Mantha
Hendrix Lapierre -- Evgeny Kuznetsov -- Ivan Miroshnichenko
Beck Malenstyn -- Nic Dowd -- Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary -- John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin -- Trevor van Riemsdyk
Joel Edmundson -- Nick Jensen
Charlie Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: Alex Alexeyev, Matthew Phillips
Injured: Max Pacioretty (Achilles), Sonny Milano (upper body). T.J. Oshie (lower body)
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Johnny Gaudreau -- Adam Fantilli -- Justin Danforth
Yegor Chinakhov -- Dmitri Voronkov -- Kirill Marchenko
Kent Johnson -- Cole Sillinger -- Emil Bemstrom
Brendan Gaunce -- Sean Kuraly -- Alexandre Texier
Zach Werenski -- Andrew Peeke
Ivan Provorov -- David Jiricek
Jake Bean -- Erik Gudbranson
Elvis Merzlikins
Spencer Martin
Scratched: Daniil Tarasov, Nick Blankenburg, Mathieu Olivier
Injured: Damon Severson (oblique), Adam Boqvist (shoulder), Jack Roslovic (broken ankle), Boone Jenner (broken jaw), Patrik Laine (fractured clavicle)
Status report
The Capitals did not hold a morning skate. They defeated the New York Islanders 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday. … Lindgren could start after Kuemper made 30 saves against the Islanders. … Merzlikins will star after Tarasov played the past two games. … Jiricek replaces Blankenburg, a defenseman. …. Columbus coach Pascal Vincent said Severson could play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The defenseman has missed the past 14 games.
