COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Even after a sluggish start, the Washington Capitals woke up in plenty of time to make quick work of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

The Capitals, on pace for the best season in franchise history, scored four goals on their first nine shots and roared to a never-in-doubt 6-3 victory over the struggling Blue Jackets.

"We were a little bit tired," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "They came hard, and they force you to play a certain way. We weren't willing to play the game that was presented to us. We were looking for a different way.

"But once we settled in, we were fine."

Center Nicklas Backstrom scored two goals while left winger Alex Ovechkin, left winger Jason Chimera, center Marcus Johansson and left winger Andre Burakovsky also scored for the Capitals, who have earned points in 17 of their last 19 games (16-2-1).

Center Evgeny Kuznetsov added four assists while defenseman Matt Niskanen and right wing Justin Williams had two apiece.

Goaltender Braden Holtby made 32 saves for his 30th victory of the season.

"Right now we feel like we have good balance in the group," Backstrom said. "We're working hard, all four lines."

The Blue Jackets inhabit the same planet as the Capitals, but theirs is a much different world.

Columbus lost more regulation games in the first month of the season (10) than the Capitals have lost all season (eight).

The Jackets got goals from left winger Boone Jenner, defenseman Ryan Murray, and rookie left winger Kerby Rychel, who earned the first of his NHL career.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, playing his first game since Dec. 8 because of a groin injury, stopped 22 of 27 shots.

"It's a tough spot for Bobrovsky," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "We know he's going to be better. He's been off for a while now.

"But the only way you get him out of it is to play him. We'll keep on playing him."

The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead at 9:30 of the first period when Rychel finished a 2-on-1 by burying a point-blank feed off a perfect pass by center William Karlsson.

The Capitals had been outshot 6-1 at that point.

At 12:15, Washington pulled to 1-1 when Backstrom finished a 3-on-2 break with Ovechkin and right winger T.J. Oshie.

Chimera, a former Blue Jacket, made it 2-1 when he scored from the slot at 15:52.

The Capitals pulled away in the second period, scoring two power-play goals on a double-minor high-sticking penalty by Blue Jackets defenseman Justin Falk at 3:03 of the period.

The first -- by Ovechkin -- took only 13 seconds. From his usual perch above the left circle, Ovechkin buried a one-timer off a Kuznetsov feed.

The second at 4:47 made it 4-1 as Backstrom scored on a wrister from the slot.

Even when the Blue Jackets threatened to make it interesting, the Capitals had a quick answer.

Jenner scored his 15th goal of the season -- off his own rebound after find space alone in front of Holtby -- to make it 4-2 at 9:35 of the second.

Burakovsky's goal at 10:25 -- scored as Jenner's goal was being announced -- made it 5-2 and put the crowd back into a slumber.

"We lacked a little juice tonight," Trotz said. "Our schedule caught up to us a little bit, but Holtby was really good early in the game and kept us in there."

NOTES: According to The Columbus Dispatch, Blue Jackets veteran LW Scott Hartnell apologized to the team after practice on Monday for a rash of penalties in recent games, including one that almost cost the Blue Jackets a win over Colorado on Saturday. It might have earned Hartnell the respect of his teammates but didn't persuade coach John Tortorella. Hartnell was a healthy scratch against the Capitals. ... Washington D John Carlson, out since Dec. 26 with a lower-body injury, skated with the club for the first time Tuesday and could return this weekend. ... Blue Jackets D David Savard is expected to miss four weeks with a strained oblique.