The Capitals visited Columbus and snuck past the Blue Jackets 4-3 on Tuesday night. Washington is now 4-0 in the
The Capitals visited Columbus and snuck past the Blue Jackets 4-3 on Tuesday night. Washington is now 4-0 in the 2025-26 preseason. Here are five takeaways.
Five Takeaways from the Capitals’ Preseason Win vs. Blue Jackets
Tom Wilson Does Tom Wilson Things
Capitals veteran Tom Wilson made his preseason debut and finished with a Gordie Howe hat trick. The 31-year-old was credited with an assist on the first tally of the contest. Wilson helped set up Connor McMichael, who fed the puck to David Gucciardi at the point. Gucciardi fired the puck into the net to make it 1-0 in the first period.
Then, Wilson scored a goal of his own, as he forced a turnover by poking the puck past Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves. Moments later, Wilson dropped the gloves with Columbus’ Erik Gudbranson after he slammed Ivan Miroshnichenko into the boards from behind. In the end, it felt like a regular season contest for fan favorite Wilson.
Sheldon Rempal Makes Capitals Debut
Sheldon Rempal made his preseason debut with the Caps on Tuesday night. The 30-year-old signed a two-way deal with Washington this past summer. He most recently played for the KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa in 2024-25.
Rempal made the most of his preseason debut by being all over the ice and generating chances. Amazingly, he led the team with seven shots on the evening. Rempal came close to a scoring opportunity on a passing play with Hendrix Lapierre and Andrew Cristall in the middle frame. He was eventually promoted to the top line, taking Ethen Frank’s spot alongside Dylan Strome and Anthony Beauvillier.
Young Guys Continue to Battle for Spots
The Capitals’ young prospects continue to impress in the preseason. Andrew Cristall once again made a statement, though he might start the season in Hershey. The 19-year-old fired a quick shot into the net for a power play goal in the opening frame. It’s his third tally of the preseason.
Additionally, Ilya Protas played very well at the center position. He went 4-for-8 on face-offs and recorded his first NHL preseason goal. In the second period, he went on a 2-on-1 opportunity with Bogdan Trineyev and snuck his feed into the back of the net.
Both performances were impressive considering the Blue Jackets were playing with a complete squad.
Defense Also Impresses
Washington’s blueliners came to play as well. As mentioned before, Gucciardi recorded the first Washington tally and was all over the ice. Dylan McIlrath got a lot more ice time (19:31 minutes) and showed flashes of what he’s done in the past. Declan Chisholm appeared to be a quality addition by recording an assist on the Cristall power play goal. As for Vincent Iorio, he got less ice time than usual, but still showcased his physicality.
Logan Thompson Shines in Net
Finally, Logan Thompson was dominant in net playing his first full preseason game. The 28-year-old made some quick saves and stopped 35 of 38 shots that went his way. Thompson looked poised and ready to return to the Capitals this season.
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