Trotz: Capitals will need 'killer instinct' to eliminate Blue Jackets in Game 6

Guarantees are nice. Heck, winning streaks in the playoffs are even better.

Related: Ovechkin: We're going back to Washington tied

But, for Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz, he knows exactly what he wants out of his club on Monday night if it hopes to knock off the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games and advance to the second round.

"If you have a chance to eliminate a team, you have to have that killer instinct," Trotz told the media on Sunday, according to Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports. "And it's the toughest game to win because the other team is desperate. Their backs are against the wall."

"They're going to have their max effort tomorrow. We've got to make sure that we've got a max effort, and if we do that, then we have a chance to win in Columbus. We've won there a couple of time already."

He's not wrong about that last part, as Washington won both Game 3 and 4 on the Blue Jackets' home ice. And following their Game 5 overtime victory on Saturday, the Capitals head back to Columbus with a chance to end their opponent's season.

Puck drop is set for Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET from Nationwide Arena.