Capitals at Blue Jackets: Lines, Notes, & How to Watch

The Washington Capitals (42-30-9) are officially done after Tuesday night. They conclude the 2025-26 season with a road matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets (40-29-12) at Nationwide Arena.

The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The Capitals were officially eliminated from playoff contention after Philadelphia beat Carolina on Monday. That game required a shootout where the Flyers emerged victorious and clinched a playoff berth for themselves.

Philadelphia also hit 96 points, while the Capitals can only max out at 95 points. Columbus was also eliminated as a result of the Flyers’ win.

As a result, the Capitals will miss the playoffs for the first time under head coach Spencer Carbery. The team previously missed the postseason in the spring of 2023, prior to Carbery’s hire.

Tuesday’s game could also be the last for legendary captain Alex Ovechkin. The 40-year-old will make a decision on his future this summer.

The Capitals carry a three-game winning streak into their season finale on Tuesday. They just swept a home-and-home set with the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Penguins this past weekend.

Sunday’s game was an emotional one for Ovechkin, who may have played his final home game at Capital One Arena. He even got to face rival Sidney Crosby for the 100th time (75th in the regular season).

The Capitals got the job done for a 3-0 home win over Pittsburgh on Sunday. Logan Thompson made 24 saves and recorded his fourth shutout of the season.

Trevor van Riemsdyk broke the scoreless tie in the second period with a tally. Then, Connor McMichael followed up with two goals in the third, including an empty-netter.

Expected Capitals Lines

Forwards

Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier

Connor McMichael – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Ryan Leonard

Aliaksei Protas – Ilya Protas – Tom Wilson

Brandon Duhaime – Justin Sourdif – Ivan Miroshnichenko

Defensemen

Martin Fehervary – Timothy Liljegren

Jakob Chychrun – Trevor van Riemsdyk

Cole Hutson – Matt Roy

Goalies

Logan Thompson

Clay Stevenson

Expected Blue Jackets Lines

Forwards

Kirill Marchenko – Adam Fantilli – Isac Lundestrom

Cole Sillinger – Charlie Coyle – Conor Garland

Mason Marchment – Boone Jenner – Danton Heinen

Kent Johnson – Sean Monahan – Miles Wood

Defensemen

Zach Werenski – Dante Fabbro

Ivan Provorov – Denton Mateychuk

Egor Zamula – Erik Gudbranson

Goalies

Jet Greaves

Elvis Merzlikins

How to Watch

TV: ESPN, Monumental Sports Network

Radio: Team 980/Caps Radio Network

By Harry Lichtman

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for Sportsnaut. He also contributes to the sites ... More about Harry Lichtman