New Jersey Devils at Washington Capitals: game preview
New JerseyDevils2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 42-37-3 · 87 pts · 21stat
WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12thEight points apart last season
New Jersey finished last season 21st in the league on 87 points. Washington finished 12th on 95, and the 2025-26 season series went NJD 2-1-1.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 232
Across 231 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 129-75-27.
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 15 Nov 2025, New Jersey were 2nd in the league and Washington 26th. By 2 Apr 2026 it was 20th and 17th.
New Jersey out-attempted Washington 315 to 312
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
New Jersey Devils
Washington Capitals
New Jersey 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: 3 games for New Jersey, 2 for Washington. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for New Jersey, 10 for Washington.
2025-26: 82 games for New Jersey, 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
New Jersey
Small sampleWashington
Small sampleJesper Bratt has 11 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.
Jesper Bratt vs Washington · game by game
See all: Jesper Bratt vs Washington · game by game →Jake Allen has been the difference
Jake Allen faced 155 shots across 5 appearances against Washington and conceded 16, a .897 save percentage against a season figure of .875. Starters are confirmed on game day.
Expected starter after their game on 15 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Expected starter after their game on 14 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Jake Allen
See all: Jake Allen →NJD · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 14 Oct
Also on the roster, 2026-27: Nico Daws .813 (1 GP)
Full game logLogan Thompson
See all: Logan Thompson →WSH · 1-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 14 Oct
Also on the roster, 2026-27: Charlie Lindgren .931 (1 GP)
Full game logScoring rates point to about 6.0 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
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.
8 on the injury lists
New Jersey · injuries
Washington · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Claimed LW Jeremie Poirier off waivers.
Claimed LW Jeremie Poirier off waivers. Placed C/RW Marc McLaughlin, LD Vladislav Kolyachonok, G David Rittich, LW Riley Tufte, LD Topias Vilen, and C/RW Colin White on waivers.
Assigned Ds Mikael Diotte, Ethan Edwards, Jeremy Hanzel, Etienne Morin and Anton Silaev, Fs Josh Filmon, Lenni Hameenaho, Shane Lachance, Matyas Melovsky, Xavier Parent, Cam Squires and Ben Steeves and G Jakub Malek to Utica (AHL). Waived for the purpose of assignment to Utica Ds DJ King, Charles Leddy and Eamon Powell, Fs Tristan Ashbrook, Zachary Gallant, Gabe Klassen, Jack Malone, Justin Pearson, Ryan Schmelzer, Cristophe Tellier and Jermey Wilmer and Gs Jeremy Brodeur and Seth Eisele.
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).
New Jersey · 2026 draft
See all: New Jersey · 2026 draft →Washington · 2026 draft
See all: Washington · 2026 draft →Saturday 17 October · the full slate
See all: Saturday 17 October · the full slate →Updated after every final