Blue Jackets ready for run at Lord Stanley’s cup

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to do something they’ve never done in team history, win a playoff series.

It’s just the fourth time in the team’s 17 year existence that they’ve made the playoffs. The first was a sweep at the hand of the Red Wings and the previous two times have been to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This year they’ll get the Washington Capitals.

The Caps won the Metropolitan Division and finished with 105 points. Much like the Jackets, they’ve had playoff frustrations. For three consecutive seasons they’ve failed to get out of the second round of the post season, despite winning the Presidents’ Trophy two of those three years.

The Blue Jackets 97 points were good enough to get them the a fourth place finish in the Metro and qualify for the playoff for consecutive years for the first ever time.

While the two have never meet in the playoffs, they have plenty of regular season history. The Caps won three of their four meetings in the regular season with the CBJ. The Jackets only regular season victory over Washington came in their most recent meeting when they crushed the Caps 5-1 in late February.

Game one of the series is Thursday in the nation’s capital. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m.