Capitals Edge Blue Jackets 2-1: Surprising Preseason Finale Sparks New Hopes

Wrapping up the Capitals’ preseason campaign, Saturday night’s face-off against the Columbus Blue Jackets served as more than just a final tune-up—it was the last dance for some of Washington’s seasoned players to shake off the rust before the curtain rises at home on Wednesday. The ice buzzed with intensity, even if the opening frame saw more stonewall defenses and crossbar rattles than scoreboard action. Eventually, Declan Chisholm struck first, his goal a neat culmination of slick plays by Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ryan Leonard. Columbus fought back, with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Mathieu Olivier finding the twine, painting a preseason finale rich in promise and a few bruises. Curious to see who’s carving out their spots and who might be on the chopping block? Dive into the full recap and get all the gritty details right here. LEARN MORE

The Washington Capitals brought an end to their preseason schedule with a second contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. The final exhibition matchup represented the last chance for some of the team’s veterans to get up to game speed before the Home Opener on Wednesday.

There were multiple posts and crossbars hit in the first period, but neither team could get on the board. Declan Chisholm opened the scoring in the second after a few nice feeds from Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ryan Leonard. Pierre-Luc Dubois finished off a two-on-one to extend the lead. Mathieu Olivier potted a late goal for the Blue Jackets.

Observations

• We got our first look at the full top unit of the Capitals’ power play for the first time this fall, and I thought they created a few good looks. Alex Ovechkin looks set to play the full two minutes of every man-advantage again this year, which I’m still not too sure about. It feels like, at least to me, that opposing penalty kills would need to adapt on the fly more if the Capitals didn’t have the obvious go-to option out there for part of the opportunity. ‘Tis but a mere opinion of mine.
• Ryan Leonard was very involved physically again, which was good to see. He’s going to take some licks but will always give them back, too. Beautiful stuff from him and Miro on Declan Chisholm’s goal. Chisholm likely already had that seventh defenseman spot completely locked down and put the finishing touch on a good first preseason with the Capitals.
• Still really like what I’m seeing from Hendrix Lapierre. He’s consistently doing all of the little things right. Hard to believe he, at age 23, was the “veteran” presence on his line with Leonard and Ivan Miroshnichenko. The team’s first-round picks from 2020, 2022, and 2023 were all on a line together. Kinda cool.
• Dylan McIlrath and Matt Roy both suffered injuries in the win. McIlrath left the game during the second period, came out for warmups to start the third, played one shift, and then returned to the Capitals’ locker room. He did not play any of the final period. Roy left during the third.
• Logan Thompson looked incredibly sharp in his final tune-up appearance. I don’t think the team’s defensive effort in front of him was good either.
• After the final preseason game, if I had it my way, the final roster spots on the team would go to Chisholm, Lapierre, Miroshnichenko, and Vincent Iorio. Sonny Milano is the tough-luck cut, but he’s probably earned a shot elsewhere if another team wants to give him one. If not, he’s the first recall from Hershey.

The preseason is no more, praise the hockey gods. The Capitals will take Sunday off before practicing and making final roster decisions on Monday. They’ll then practice again on Tuesday with their Opening Night roster before hosting the Boston Bruins the following night.