The set-up: The Washington Capitals didn't win the Presidents' Trophy this season (entered the season off back-to-back wins) but the team's 105 points were enough for them to capture their third consecutive Metropolitan Division title. Few teams can match the regular-season success of the Washington Capitals in recent years but Alex Ovechkin and company are more concerned with erasing a lengthy history of playoff flops. The Capitals have not been to the Stanley Cup Final since 1998 and have been drummed out of the playoffs in the second round in each of the past three seasons. The Capitals seemed to insist that they had less pressure this postseason than in years past, perhaps as a result of failing to win the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in three years. However, despite winning 12 of 15 games heading into the playoffs, the Capitals once again flopped out of teh box, losing two home playoff games at home in OT to the Columbus Blue Jackets (FYI... Columbus has never won a postseason series). Alex Ovechkin generated both headlines and raised eyebrows after declaring that the Washington Capitals would return to the District of Columbia tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets at two victories apiece in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Yes, it took two OTs but the Caps won Game 3 by the score of 3-2 and are now halfway to fulfilling Ovechkin's promise.

Washington: Ovechkin recorded his second straight two-point performance when he notched a pair of assists in his 100th career playoff game before Lars Eller ended Tuesday's marathon after the puck caromed off him and into the net for a 3-2 win. "It was a real ugly OT-winner goal. I had a feeling it was going be one of those. It doesn't make the win less sweet," Eller told the Washington Post. Braden Holtby made his first start of the series and earned his keep on Tuesday with 33 saves, prompting coach Barry Trotz to declare the 2016 Vezina Trophy winner the starter for Game 4 the following day.

Columbus: Cam Atkinson joined defenseman Seth Jones with an assist on Tuesday to extend their respective point streaks, with the former riding a 12-game stretch (10 goals, seven assists). Jones logged a team-high 35:04 and Panarin had over 31 1/2 minutes, prompting Columbus coach John Tortorella to give his team the day off from practice on Wednesday with both teams working a staggering 47:24 of overtime in the series. Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky entered the series with a ghastly 3-10 postseason record but he has been very impressive so far. He facied 58 shots in the Game 2 win, while setting a franchise record with 54 saves. He's stopped 123 of 133 shots (.925 SP) through three games.

The pick: Both teams have worked a staggering 47:24 of overtime in the series, as this series has become the 22nd in NHL history that has featured at least three consecutive overtime games. "During playoffs, to me, it's not a physical fatigue; it's a mental fatigue - and that's what breaks you down physically," Columbus head Tortorella said on Wednesday. "But if we're fatigued three games in, (expletive), we're just starting. It's a long game last night, and we've had a couple overtime games, but that's all part of this." Bobrovsky has been excellent for Columbus in goal and Trotz has finally decided that Holtby is "the man." I'm niot sure why it took himn falling behind 0-2 to realize that. After all, Holtby answered a 1-5-2 mark with a gaudy 4.82 goals-against average and .854 save percentage from Feb. 11-March 5 with a solid 5-1-0 record in his final six regular-season starts. However, Trotz went with the far less experienced Brubauer, who allowed eight goals on 49 shots (.837 SP). Make the Over an 8* play.