Early look · NHL 2026-27

Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes: game preview

WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12that

CarolinaHurricanes2026-27: 2-1-1 · 5 pts · 2025-26: 53-22-7 · 113 pts · 2nd

Puck drop13 Oct · 6:45 PM ET

VenueLenovo Center

All-time meetings154 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Eighteen points apart last season

Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Carolina finished 2nd on 113, and the 2025-26 season series went WSH 2-0-1.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 155

Across 154 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 88-50-15.

All-time record88-50-15Washington's record in the series

Meetings played154This is number 155

2025-26 seriesWSH 2-0-1

Last 53-2Washington

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

2 OctWSH 5 – CAR 227–33WSH 1/2 · CAR 1/6WSH

31 Jan 2026CAR 3 – WSH 4 OT22–42CAR 0/2 · WSH 0/4WSH

11 Dec 2025CAR 3 – WSH 2 SO39–25CAR 0/2 · WSH 0/1CAR

11 Nov 2025WSH 4 – CAR 128–31WSH 1/5 · CAR 0/5WSH

15 May 2025CAR 3 – WSH 122–19CAR 0/2 · WSH 0/3CAR

Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DateWashingtonCarolina

11 Nov 20258-7-1 · 17 pts24th11-5-0 · 22 pts5th

11 Dec 202518-9-4 · 40 pts4th19-9-2 · 40 pts3rd

31 Jan 202625-21-7 · 57 pts19th32-15-5 · 69 pts3rd

2 Oct1-0-0 · 2 pts11th0-1-1 · 1 pts21st

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 11 Nov 2025, Washington were 24th in the league and Carolina 5th. By 2 Oct it was 11th and 21st.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Carolina out-attempted Washington 347 to 278

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Washington Capitals

278 att · 141 on goal · 16 G · 11.3%

Crease30 att · 4 G

Slot115 att · 9 G

Wing93 att · 1 G

Point33 att · 1 G

Neutral zone7 att · 1 G

Carolina Hurricanes

347 att · 147 on goal · 11 G · 7.5%

Crease23 att · 2 G

Slot130 att · 4 G

Wing138 att · 4 G

Point50 att · 1 G

Neutral zone6 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Carolina 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.

WashingtonCarolina

2.48xG for per game3.74

4.09xG against per game2.21

37.7%xG share62.9%

+1.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals−4.0

+3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−3.2

This season: 2 games for Washington, 4 for Carolina. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

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

Washington

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2725.0%

Power play · 2025-2617.8% · 25th

Power play · last 5 meetings2/15 · 13.3%

Penalty kill · 2026-2788.9%

Penalty kill · 2025-2680.1% · 14th

Faceoffs · 2026-2746.4% · 51/110

Drawn · 2026-274 (2.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings15 (3.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-279 (4.50/gm)

PP goals · last meetings2

Carolina

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2719.0%

Power play · 2025-2624.9% · 4th

Power play · last 5 meetings1/17 · 5.9%

Penalty kill · 2026-2789.5%

Penalty kill · 2025-2680.5% · 11th

Faceoffs · 2026-2752.1% · 125/240

Drawn · 2026-2721 (5.25/gm)

Drawn · last meetings17 (3.40/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2719 (4.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings1

Skaters

Jakob Chychrun has 5 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.

In the last meetings

See all: In the last meetings →

PlayerGPGAPSOG

6Jakob Chychrun532519

17Dylan Strome52248

8Alex Ovechkin513412

27Nikolaj Ehlers421315

22Logan Stankoven521311

21Aliaksei Protas50339

74John Carlson40336

20Sebastian Aho52027

89Alex Tuch12023

37Andrei Svechnikov511218

Head-to-head finder

Jakob Chychrun vs Carolina · game by game

See all: Jakob Chychrun vs Carolina · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

2 Octaway112318:51

31 Jan 2026home112628:02

11 Dec 2025home000125:27

11 Nov 2025away101519:09

15 May 2025home000422:52

Last 5 meetings5 P3 G, 2 A · 19 SOG

Next best4 PDylan Strome, WSH

2026-27 season3 P2 GP · 1 G

Blank vs CAR2 of 5

Full game log

Goaltending

Brandon Bussi has started most of these meetings

Brandon Bussi played 2 of the last 5 meetings with Washington, with a .865 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Washington

Expected starter after their game on 11 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Carolina

Expected starter after their game on 11 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Logan Thompson

See all: Logan Thompson →

WSH · 1-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 10 Oct

SV% · 2026-27.9391 GP · 2.00 GAA · 2025-26 .912

vs Carolina.9444 app · 124 SA · 7 GA

GSAx · 2026-27+2.01 start

vs CARVenueSAGASV%

2 Octaway332.939

11 Dec 2025home392.949

11 Nov 2025away311.968

15 May 2025home212.905

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Charlie Lindgren .931 (1 GP)

Full game log

Brandon Bussi

See all: Brandon Bussi →

CAR · 1-1-1 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 10 Oct

SV% · 2026-27.8513 GP · 3.24 GAA · 2025-26 .895

vs Washington.8652 app · 52 SA · 7 GA

GSAx · 2026-27−3.73 starts · most on the roster

vs WSHVenueSAGASV%

2 Octhome275.815

11 Dec 2025away252.920

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Pyotr Kochetkov .889 (1 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 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

2 Oct7 · WSH 5–2 CAR

31 Jan 20267 · CAR 3–4 WSH

11 Dec 20255 · CAR 3–2 WSH

11 Nov 20255 · WSH 4–1 CAR

15 May 20254 · CAR 3–1 WSH

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Washington3.002.503.212.98

Carolina2.753.003.612.93

Goals 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.

Scoring rates suggest6.2Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings5.6Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

5 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

Matt RoyLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn7 Oct

Patrick ThomasUpper BodyIRReturn24 Oct

Rasmus SandinKneeIRReturn26 Dec

Carolina · injuries

Alexander NikishinContract DisputeOutReturn10 Oct

Seth JarvisShoulderIRReturn24 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

27 Sep · WSH

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).

27 Sep · WSH

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.

26 Sep · WSH

Placed D Justin Holl on waivers for the purpose of being loaned to Hershey (AHL).

30 Sep · CAR

Placed G Cayden Primeau on waivers.

27 Sep · CAR

Placed C Seth Jarvis on the injured non-roster list. Placed LD Juuso Valimaki on waivers.

27 Sep · CAR

Placed C Seth Jarvis on the injured non-roster list. Placed D Juuso Valimaki on waivers.

Injury report

Washington · 2026 draft

See all: Washington · 2026 draft →

#18Oliver SuvantoRound 1 · TapparaC

#101Tyus SparksRound 4 · SpokaneC

#144Brian McFaddenRound 5 · Thayer AcademyD

#208Logan StuartRound 7 · Usa U-18C

Full draft

Carolina · 2026 draft

See all: Carolina · 2026 draft →

#51William HakanssonRound 2 · LuleaD

#61Wiggo SorenssonRound 2 · Boro/vetlandaC

#68Zachary LansardRound 3 · ReginaRW

#105Michael BerchildRound 4 · Usa U-18LW

Full draft

Tuesday 13 October · the full slate

See all: Tuesday 13 October · the full slate →

CARThis game 7:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes: game preview

Eighteen points apart last season

Meeting number 155

Last 5 meetings

The table on each meeting night

Carolina out-attempted Washington 347 to 278

Washington Capitals

Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Washington

Carolina

Jakob Chychrun has 5 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Jakob Chychrun vs Carolina · game by game

Brandon Bussi has started most of these meetings

Logan Thompson

Brandon Bussi

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

5 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

Carolina · injuries

Latest moves

Washington · 2026 draft

Carolina · 2026 draft

Tuesday 13 October · the full slate