BOOM! The Jackets only managed to get the cannon to fire once during their game 4 performance against the snake bitten Washington Capitals. Very little seemed to be going Columbus’ way from the get go, as they were thoroughly beaten on both the shot clock and the score sheet. The goal-tending match-up featured Sergey Bobrovsky in net for the Blue Jackets, vs Braden Holtby of the Capitals. Holtby getting his second game after replacing Filip Greubaur in game two.
The Capitals dominated from the drop of the puck as they pounded shot after shot at Columbus’ Bobrovsky. It did’t take long for the first goal as Tom Wilson found the net after a mad scramble drove the puck to the right point where Wilson beat a screened Bobrovsky for the 1-0 lead. Washington out shot Columbus 12-7 in the first and were ahead 1-0 as the first period drew to a close, but they were far from done.
Also read: Maple Leafs & Bruins Game 4 Recap
The second period was just as unkind to Columbus as the first as once again the Capitals were the only ones to score. This one was another mad scramble that occurred on a Washington power-play in front of the Blue Jacket’s net. Bobrovsky made a couple saves before T.J. Oshie buried it about midway through the period for his second of the playoffs. Once again the Capitals out shot the Blue Jackets 13-8 in the second making it that much harder for them to orchestrate a comeback in the third trailing 2-0.
Trailing 2-0 the Blue Jackets needed to come out firing on all cylinders in order to take the series to it’s fourth overtime in a row. However it was the Capitals who struck first in the period with Alexander Ovechkin notching up his third of the playoffs and giving the Capitals a 3-0 lead three minutes into the period. The Blue Jackets would respond three minutes later With Boone Jenner burying the puck behind Holtby to reduce the lead to two. Columbus would out shoot the Capitals in the third but an empty net goal by Kuznetsov sealed the deal and the Capitals would take game 4 by a score of 4-1. They also out shot the Blue Jackets 33-24, and have tied the series 2-2. Game 5 will take place in Washington on Saturday April 21st, so stay tuned to see who takes the series lead.
