Schedule and 2017-18 Results
Regular Season Records: Washington 49-26-7=105pts, Columbus 45-30-7=97pts
Game 1 on Thursday, 12 April: Columbus wins at Washington, 4-goals-3 (OT)
Game 2 on Sunday, 15 April: Columbus wins at Washington, 5-goals-4 (OT)
Game 3 on Tuesday, 17 April: Washington wins at Columbus, 3-goals-2 (2OT)
Game 4 on Thursday, 19 April: Washington wins at Columbus, 4-goals-1
Game 5 on Saturday, 21 April: Columbus loses at Washington, 4-goals-3 (OT)
Game 6 on Monday, 23 April: Washington wins at Columbus, 6-goals-3

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Washington Capitals visited and bested the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-goals-3 to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1355 victory. With the series 1355 win, the Washington Capitals improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 15-25 overall and 12-12 with an active four-series Preliminary-round winning streak in the Preliminary round. With the series 1355 loss, the Columbus Blue Jackets see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 0-4 overall and 0-4 in the Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious Washington Capitals in series 1355 was LLWWWW: Series 1355 thus becomes the eleventh NHL Preliminary-round series, the 23rd NHL series (all rounds), and the 38th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. Series 1355 constitutes the series comeback of the Spring 2018 season thus far, as the Washington Capitals in series 1355 have been the only Spring 2018 series winner to surmount any deficit (let alone a two-game deficit). The LLWWWW win order in a best-of-7 NHL Preliminary round has a lofty pedigree: The Chicago Blackhawks achieved it in 2014, and were the NHL champions in 2013 and 2015; the Los Angeles Kings achieved it in 2013, and were the NHL champions in 2012 and 2014; the Carolina Hurricanes achieved it in 2006 en route to their 2006 NHL championship; the Tampa Bay Lightning achieved it in 2003 and were the NHL champions in 2004.

After Game 5: The Washington Capitals hosted and defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-goals-3 in overtime to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1355 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 9-6 and a Game 6 record of 7-8. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Columbus Blue Jackets have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 6 record of 0-1.

After Game 4: The Washington Capitals visited and defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-goals-1 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1355 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 5-9 and a Game 5 record of 6-8, while the Columbus Blue Jackets have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 5 record of 0-1. The previous Columbus series and Game 5 losses when tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series occurred in series 1223, in which the Blue Jackets lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2014 NHL Preliminary round.

After Game 3: The Washington Capitals visited and defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-goals-2 in double overtime to reduce the Columbus Blue Jackets best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1355 lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Columbus Blue Jackets have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 4 record of 0-0 (Columbus leads a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1 for the first time in series 1355). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 7-9 and a Game 4 record of 8-8. For the second consecutive best-of-7 NHL Preliminary round, the Washington Capitals see the first three games of their series go to overtime (in series 1322, the Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs went to overtime in each of the first three games of their 2017 NHL Preliminary-round series). Series 1355 is the sixth best-of-7 NHL playoff series in which each of the first three games went to overtime.

After Game 2: The Columbus Blue Jackets visited and bested the Washington Capitals 5-goals-4 in overtime to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1355 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Columbus Blue Jackets have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 3 record of 0-0 (i.e., Columbus leads a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-nil for the first time in franchise history). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 1-6 and a Game 3 record of 2-5. Columbus trailed in Washington by two goals as late as 8:48 into the second period of series 1355 Game 2, but prevailed. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2017, inclusive, road teams down two goals as late as 8:48 into the second period had a game record of only 51-397 (.114).

After Game 1: The Columbus Blue Jackets visited and defeated the Washington Capitals 4-goals-3 in overtime to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1355 lead of 1-game-nil. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 7-9 and a Game 2 record of 9-7. Series 1355 Game 1 is the first best-of-7 NHL playoff Game 1 victory for the Columbus Blue Jackets, in their fourth best-of-7 NHL playoff series. Columbus trailed the Capitals in Washington by a goal as late as 15:33 into the third period, but prevailed in series 1355 Game 1. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2017, inclusive, road teams trailing by a goal as late as 15:33 into the third period had a game record of only 47-629 (0.070).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2017-18 NHL regular season, the Washington Capitals finished eight points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets. From 1939 through the 2017 NHL Finals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by eight regular-season points, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 17-6 (.739) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1355 is the 40th best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Washington Capitals, and the fourth for the Columbus Blue Jackets. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Washington Capitals have an all-rounds series record of 14-25, a Preliminary-round series record of 11-12, and a Game 1 record of 23-16, while the Columbus Blue Jackets have an all-rounds series record of 0-3, a Preliminary-round series record of 0-3, and a Game 1 record of 0-3. Series 1355 is the first best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Washington Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets.