The Columbus Blue Jackets may have lost 5-1 to the Washington Capitals on Friday night at Nationwide Arena. But the team felt they played very well especially in the first two periods.
Logan Thompson was brilliant making 34 saves only allowing a Denton Mateychuk goal in the third period. The Capitals scored four goals in the third period with two coming on a questionable five-minute major to Mathieu Olivier.
The Blue Jackets were not happy postgame with how that transpired.
Game Recap
Early on, it was a fast-paced game between two teams who stayed patient and kept within their structure. The first period flew by and ended 0-0. Both the Capitals and Blue Jackets has 12 shots on goal.
It was more of the same to open the second period. Except the Blue Jackets carried the play for most of the period. Thompson’s brilliance kept the game 0-0.
Thompson’s performance prompted head coach Dean Evason to say “What the heck? How’d he do that?” He was great all game making several big saves at key moments.
With the score 0-0 with under two minutes left in the second and the Capitals only having one shot on goal in the period, John Carlson opened the scoring from distance. That allowed the Capitals to go into the locker room up 1-0. The Blue Jackets held a 10-2 shot advantage in the middle frame.
The Capitals scored two goals in 1:04 at the start of the third. Off a faceoff play, Alex Ovechkin scored his 899th career goal to make it 2-0. Then Justin Sourdif extended it to 3-0.
Mateychuk finally beat Thompson on a great play by Sean Monahan to cut it to 3-1 midway through the third. Then things went south in a hurry for the Blue Jackets.
With momentum on their side trying to push closer, they had a goal by Dmitri Voronkov overturned due to a kick. Then Olivier hit Declan Chisholm. After review, officials assessed a five-minute major but not a game misconduct to Olivier for elbowing.
With Olivier in the box, the Capitals added two power-play goals from Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael to make it a 5-1 final.
Postgame, the Blue Jackets were not pleased that a major was called in that situation. Evason said Olivier was just “finishing his check.” Then he shared his thoughts on the call in which he said “I’m talking to some very intelligent hockey people that just don’t understand what that call was. There’s no intent.”
Dean Evason on the Mathieu Olivier major:
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) October 25, 2025
"Guy gets hit. First he stops, jumps out of the way. We're just going to finish the check. Arms are in finishing the check. There's no chicken wing. His head hits the glass. He gets hit on this side. He holds (the other side) of his…
Olivier through a Blue Jackets’ spokesperson declined to speak to the media postgame.
The Blue Jackets are right back in action Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Meanwhile, the Capitals head home and host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
