Capitals score 4 goals in the 2nd, beat Blue Jackets 6-2
Washington Capitals players celebrate their goal against Columbus Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins during the second period of an NHL hockey game on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete) Credit: AP/Jay LaPrete
COLUMBUS, Ohio — T.J. Oshie scored twice and the Washington Capitals used a four-goal second period to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 on Thursday night for their franchise-record seventh straight road victory.
Washington has won 12 of its last 15 games, with points in eight straight. Columbus has lost nine of its last 10.
Oshie, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Martin Fehervary and Garnet Hathaway scored in the second period, and Oshie and Alex Ovechkin added third-period goals. Dylan Strome contributed three assists, Evgeny Kuznetsov had two helpers, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 25 shots.
Johnny Gaudreau and Gavin Bayreuther scored for Columbus, and Emil Bemstrom had two assists. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 31 shots in his first start since Dec. 13.
Columbus carried a 1-0 lead out of the first period after Gaudreau scored at 5:19 for his first goal in 10 games.
Washington then showed why it is the NHL’s best second-period team, outscoring opponents 58-35.
Oshie, who missed six games with an injury, buried the Capitals' first goal at 1:51, followed by Aube-Kubel, scoring for the first time the season, and Fehervary, who was back after missing 12 games to injury.
Washington Capitals' Lars Eller, left, pushes Columbus Blue Jackets' Liam Foudy to the ice during the first period of an NHL hockey game on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete) Credit: AP/Jay LaPrete
Hathaway notched Washington’s fourth goal with 1:03 left.
Bayreuther added a Blue Jackets second-period score at 12:59, but his second of the night was waved off at 4:43 of the third for off-sides.
Oshie extended the Capitals lead to three goals with a power-play score at 6:41 of the third, and Ovechkin used a one-timer on the power-play to make it 6-2.
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Columbus Blue Jackets' Andrew Peeke, right, carries the puck past Washington Capitals' Evgeny Kuznetsov during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete) Credit: AP/Jay LaPrete
Capitals: Host Nashville on Friday night.
Blue Jackets: Host Carolina on Saturday night.
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