With both the Blue Jackets and Capitals on losing streaks since the all star break, both teams were looking to get back on track - particularly with the knife fight that is the Metropolitan Division playoff race.
With the home ice advantage in the first game of the home and home series, the Jackets needed to come out and get to work and early on they did just that, with Columbus opening the scoring when David Savard hammered a shot past Brayden Holtby.
The Capitals weren’t going away that easily, though, with Nicklas Backstrom drawing a hooking penalty and John Carlson would cash in, tying the game.