Columbus at Washington

First-place Columbus is a defensive powerhouse again, third in the NHL in goals allowed and penalty killing. The Blue Jackets have an impressive road record and are on an 8-1-0 run after a 4-2 win over Anaheim last night. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky will be back in net after being held out for the past two games. Columbus is 37-17 ATS against teams allowing 2.85+ goals per game. They are a dog to a Washington team that lost key talent from a year ago. The Capitols have taken steps back, ranked #17 in goals scored, #14 on the power play, #21 in goals allowed, and #20 in penalty killing. They come off a 5-2 home loss as a favorite to Los Angeles, which scored twice in a span of nine seconds. Washington faces a Columbus squad that is 20-6 versus opponents allowing 3+ goals per contest, so back the first-place dog. Play Columbus.