Position by position we are breaking down the Caps and Columbus Blue Jackets first round matchup.
The game is won and lost down the middle. It starts with goaltending and ends with centers. Both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals boast some top flight centers but who has the edge?
The Washington Capitals top line center for more than a decade has been Nicklas Backstrom. The Swede has had another 70 point season, his fifth in a row. Backstrom might be the most underrated defensive player in this series. He consistently finishes in the top 10 in Selke voting and should finish higher.
Backstrom though has been playing second fiddle to Evgeny Kuznetsov recently who ended the regular season on fire. With 19 points in his final 11 games Kuznetsov must be slowed down by the CBJ if the Jackets are to stand a chance. Playing alongside of Alex Ovechkin will help but Kuznetsov finished the year with 83 points to lead the Caps over 82 games and he will be vital to the Caps if they are to beat the Jackets.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Third line center Lars Eller is one of just seven active Danish players in the NHL. He will get to matchup against his fellow countryman, Oliver Bjorkstrand, in the first round. The matchup will capture the attention of the small Scandinavian nation just weeks before Denmark host the World Championships.
Eller has had a career season with 38 points and will be another piece for the Caps if they are to advance. Eller getting young scorer Jakub Vrana rolling will be crucial for the Caps. They need third line scoring if they expect to advance and Vrana is their only real scoring threat outside of the top two lines.
Columbus Depth vs Caps Star Power
The Columbus Blue Jackets can’t counter the star power that Washington has at the top. Although Pierre-Luc Dubois has been impressive in his rookie campaign Backstrom is still a significantly better center. Alexander Wennberg has played well since Thomas Vanek and Boone Jenner were added to his line but Evegny Kuznetsov gets the nod over Wennberg any day of the week.
Where the Jackets have an advantage is in the third and fourth lines. Nick Foligno will return to the lineup for game one. He gives the Jackets an advantage at center over the Caps option on the third line.
Mark Letestu is an ideal fourth line center who can win draws and plays great defense will still providing a bit of a spark offensively at times. He certainly is better than the caps fourth line center, Chandler Stephenson.
At the end of the day though Backstrom and Kuznetsov are just too much. The Capitals have a decided advantage over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the center position.
Advantage: Washington Capitals
Next: CBJ Blue Line Beats Caps
The Jackets need their top two centers to come close to performing the way Backstrom and Kuznetsov will perform if the Jackets want a chance to win. With shorter benches in the playoffs, the Jackets depth in the center department isn’t enough to give them the advantage, but it’s enough to keep them close.