The Washington Capitals begin their home-and-home with the Columbus Blue Jackets with a matinee today at Nationwide Arena.

The Capitals will be without Alex Ovechkin in the lineup, who is being held out of the game for rest-related reasons. Ovi didn’t even make the trip to Ohio and remained in DC.

Hunter Shepard will make his season debut in net and face Jet Greaves — a rematch from the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals that went to 7 games last year.

Puck drop for Caps-Blue Jackets is at 12:30 pm on ABC. Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, and the incomparable Emily Kaplan have the call.

Lines

Washington Capitals

Columbus Blue Jackets

Tunnel shenanigans

1st Period

Puck is dropped.

🚨 1-0 Columbus Blue Jackets. CBJ Goal: Zach Werenski (21). Assists: S. Monahan (34). Time: 01:00.

Werenski beats Shep to the top corns far side with a beautiful shot. It’s Zach’s first goal in his last 18 games.

🚨 2-0 Columbus Blue Jackets. CBJ Goal: Kent Johnson (23). Assists: J. van Riemsdyk (17). Time: 04:45.

Johnson dances around Martin Fehervary and scores five hole. Nothing Shep could do there.

CAPS GOT LUCKY HERE. Denton Mateychuk scores from the neutral zone, but the goal is whistled off because his shot went directly off a linemsan and into the empty net. Shepard had gone out to play the puck behind the cage.

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