The Washington Capitals beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Saturday night, Washington's 1,000th home win in franchise history.

WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals reached a franchise milestone on Saturday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, managed a smaller stepping stone in a season that has had its ups and downs, and also managed to climb back above the .500 mark with a 2-1 win at Capital One Arena.

The victory was the franchise's 1,000th on home ice, with 554 of those coming in Chinatown at MCI Center, Verizon Center and Capital One Arena, 444 wins in Landover at the Capital Centre and U.S. Air Arena, and a pair of outdoor wins considered home games at Nationals Park and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Washington is the 16th team to reach that mark, and it took just over 49 years, dating back to October 17, 1974, when Washington beat Chicago 4-3 for its first-ever franchise win at the Capital Centre.

Tom Wilson and Sonny Milano gave Washington its first 2-0 lead at home this season in the first 20 minutes, and the Capitals made those goals last to move back above the .500 mark with a 5-4-1 record after the first 10 games of the season. The win was Washington's fourth in five games after a 1-3-1 start, and also marked the first time this season the Caps beat a divisional opponent at home, and even the first time they lit the lamp against a Metropolitan Division foe on home ice this year.

Charlie Lindgren, playing in his first game since Opening Night, was solid in Washington's net with the lead, and he earned his first win of the season with a 35-save effort.

Wilson had Washington's best chance to take an early lead 6:17 into the contest, being awarded his first career penalty shot after being interfered with on a break while skating in front of a pair of Columbus defenders. However, Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins held his ground on the penalty shot with Wilson's slow deke attempt and Wilson simply ran out of real estate before being stopped.

The play that led to the penalty shot was costly injury-wise, as Washington also lost the services of Trevor van Riemsdyk, as he headed to the locker room as Wilson prepared to take the shot with a lower-body injury and the defenseman did not return.

Wilson did made amends for his failed attempt in short order, lofting a goal over Merzlikins for a 1-0 lead 6:04 after the penalty shot effort. The tally was Washington's first goal against a divisional opponent at home all season, coming after shutout losses to the Penguins and Islanders.

Former Blue Jacket Milano then doubled that lead, taking a cross ice feed from Nick Jensen and then sneaking it past the Columbus goaltender looking to recover with 2:39 left in the period. It was Washington's first 2-0 lead at home this season, and just the second of the season with the first coming in the win over New Jersey.

Columbus got on the board early in the second period to cut that lead in half, as a Kirill Marchenko shot from above the circle was tipped by Dmitri Voronkov and got past Charlie Lindgren.

Washington was able to generate some scoring chances of its own in the second, but a tendency to overpass in the offensive zone meant possession time didn't turn into results on the scoreboard. 

Wilson did nearly get his second goal of the evening on a power play late in the frame, but a puck deflected off his shin guard and hit the post, and Merzlikins was able to corral the loose puck in the crease before Wilson could try and take a second attempt.

Alex Ovechkin had a couple of good chances early in the third, but couldn't extend the Washington lead. Lindgren made his nicest save of the night by stopping a Cole Sillinger drive just past the halfway mark through the third to keep the Capitals up one, and was called upon numerous times with the clock winding down.

Washington managed to make the first-period lead hold up, and closed out the victory. The Capitals return to action Wednesday night at home against the Florida Panthers in a game televised on TNT.