New York Rangers at Washington Capitals: game preview
NY RangersRangers2026-27: 4-1-0 · 8 pts · 2025-26: 34-39-9 · 77 pts · 30that
WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12thEighteen points apart last season
NY Rangers finished last season 30th in the league on 77 points. Washington finished 12th on 95, and the 2025-26 season series went NYR 2-2-0.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 315
Across 314 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 161-134-19.
Last 5 meetings
See all: Last 5 meetings →The table on each 2025-26 meeting night
League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 12 Oct 2025, NY Rangers were 11th in the league and Washington 8th. By 5 Apr 2026 it was 29th and 17th.
NY Rangers out-attempted Washington 317 to 299
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
New York Rangers
Washington Capitals
NY Rangers have created the better chances, last 10 games
Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.
This season: 5 games for NY Rangers, 2 for Washington. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for NY Rangers, 10 for Washington.
2025-26: 82 games for NY Rangers, 82 for Washington.
Power play and penalty kill, season and series
This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.
All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings
NY Rangers
Small sampleWashington
Small sampleWill Cuylle has 6 points in the last 5 meetings
Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.
Will Cuylle vs Washington · game by game
See all: Will Cuylle vs Washington · game by game →Igor Shesterkin has started most of these meetings
Igor Shesterkin played 3 of the last 5 meetings with Washington, with a .911 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.
- Started 4 of 5 this season
- 51 of the team's last 82 starts
2026-27: 4 GP · .926 SV% · GSAx +5
Also possible: Garand 36%
Injured: Korpisalo (injured reserve)
Expected starter after their game on 7 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Igor Shesterkin
See all: Igor Shesterkin →NYR · 3-1-0 in 2026-27 Expected starter · 64%
Also on the roster, 2026-27: Dylan Garand 1.000 (1 GP)
Full game logCharlie Lindgren
See all: Charlie Lindgren →WSH · 0-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter not named
Also on the roster, 2026-27: Logan Thompson .939 (1 GP)
Full game logScoring rates point to about 5.9 goals
No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.
Goals in the last 5 meetings
Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.
Scoring rates
NY Rangers3.201.602.903.05
Washington3.002.503.212.98Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.
7 on the injury lists
NY Rangers · injuries
Washington · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Recalled C Gabriel Beaudoin from Hartford (AHL). Placed C Joe Veleno on injured reserve.
Placed D Matthew Robertson on waivers.
Placed G Joonas Korpisalo on injured reserve. Recalled G Dylan Garand from Hartford (AHL).
Placed G Clay Stevenson, D Louie Belpedio, C Mike Brodzinski and RW Spencer Smallman on waivers. Released G Cal Petersen and D Jonathan McDonald from their professional tryout agreements. Assigned LW Maxim Schäfer to Cape Breton (QMJHL).
Placed G Clay Stevenson, D Louie Belpedio, C Mike Brodzinski and RW Spencer Smallman on waivers. Released G Cal Petersen from his professional tryout agreement.
Placed D Justin Holl on waivers for the purpose of being loaned to Hershey (AHL).
NY Rangers · 2026 draft
See all: NY Rangers · 2026 draft →Washington · 2026 draft
See all: Washington · 2026 draft →Friday 9 October · the full slate
See all: Friday 9 October · the full slate →
Updated after every final