Blue Jackets vs. Capitals: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season

The Washington Capitals put history on hold Thursday at the Verizon Center. 

Washington ended the Columbus Blue Jackets' 16-game winning streak with a commanding 5-0 victory and prevented the visitors from tying the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins' NHL record of 17 consecutive wins. It was also a notable effort for the Capitals because they are chasing the Blue Jackets in the Metropolitan Division.

Washington now has 53 points after four straight wins, while Columbus remains at 58 points.

Daniel Winnik and John Carlson put the Capitals in control when they each scored a first-period goal, and Nate Schmidt and Andre Burakovsky essentially iced the win with a second-period goal apiece. Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was pulled in the third period after Justin Williams added a fifth goal.

Bobrovsky saved 18 of 23 shots and was no match for his counterpart. Braden Holtby turned away all 29 of Columbus' shots and was the best player on the ice throughout the game.

It didn't take the Capitals long to strike against the streaking Blue Jackets. Winnik buried a loose puck in the back of the net after a scramble in front of Bobrovsky a mere five minutes, six seconds into the contest, as the team shared on Twitter:

Scott Burnside of ESPN.com noted Columbus scored first 11 times during the winning streak, so Washington's fourth line put the Blue Jackets in a position it has not been accustomed to in recent contests.

Evgeny Kuznetsov committed a penalty less than one minute later, but Washington's special teams killed the power play. The home team parlayed that momentum into another first-period goal when Marcus Johansson's pass deflected off Carlson's skate and into the net. 

Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic said it was the 10th goal for Washington's defense in 13 games, and the Capitals emphasized Carlson's strong play:

Washington finished the first period with the 2-0 lead even though Columbus outshot it 11-6, per Burnside. It was a testament to Holtby's strong play that the Blue Jackets didn't score in the opening 20 minutes despite generating a number of chances.

Columbus did everything but score in the opening minutes of the second period, as it peppered Holtby with a number of point-blank shots. However, the goaltender turned them all away—including those that came on a power play—and protected the 2-0 lead.

He did enough to impress the opposition:

Holtby's teammates rewarded him when Schmidt extended the lead to 3-0 by converting the second chance off his own miss, which the team captured:

Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch wrote: "Thus far, it is one of those nights when CBJ can't get a bounce—and they've run into a hot goalie. Can't remember the last one like it."

Bounces or not, Washington made it clear this was its night when Burakovsky scored to make it 4-0. The goal stood after Columbus challenged for offside, giving the Capitals the commanding lead they enjoyed heading into the final period.

The Blue Jackets killed a Washington power play to open the third period, but they didn't turn that into a momentum-shifting goal in the first few minutes and gradually lost time to mount a comeback. 

That's when the Capitals drove Bobrovsky from the game with a fifth goal. It was Williams who beat the starting goaltender to give Washington a 5-0 advantage, and the Blue Jackets turned to Curtis McElhinney between the pipes.

The Capitals highlighted Williams' powerful shot:

Courtney Laughlin of CSN Mid-Atlantic praised the Capitals as they controlled the contest through the final period: "Wow. Just wow. So impressed with the Caps execution tonight. They've done all the little things right."

Although the game was well in hand for Washington, it did allow the Blue Jackets a five-on-three power play. The Capitals survived the two-man deficit and then earned a power play of their own when Tom Wilson was tripped on a shorthanded opportunity.

Neither side took advantage of opportunities in the penalty-laden middle of the period, but Washington had already done more than enough to secure the victory and put things on cruise control down the stretch.

Postgame Reaction

The Capitals shared some of the postgame comments from various members of the team:

Williams said, "I wanted to stop the streak," per Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. "Who wouldn't want to stop a streak."

On the other side, Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella said, "All year long I haven't been in (the dressing room), but I would be remiss if I didn’t tell them … that's one hell of a run," per Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch.

Tom Gulitti of NHL.com noted, "Tortorella admitted he 'stretched' Bobrovsky by playing more because of the streak and now can go back to normal."

What's Next?

The Blue Jackets return home Saturday to face the New York Rangers in another critical division contest. They will look to start a new streak against a challenger that had 55 points entering play Thursday and is right behind them in the loaded Metropolitan.

The Capitals start a two-game road trip Saturday against the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens. Entering play Thursday, Montreal was in first place in the Atlantic Division, and Ottawa was in second, so Washington will be challenged to keep its own winning streak afloat.