Caps, Jackets Clash for Playoff Life

The Capitals travel to Columbus knowing a regulation loss buries their postseason hopes deeper than ever in this do-or-die scrap with the Blue Jackets. Washington’s vets remember the sting of missing last year, while Columbus smells blood from a Caps team that's leaked goals like a sieve lately. Front offices whisper about deadline deals if this one goes south, with every shift carrying the weight of roster futures.