Early look The full preview opens on Monday 26 October, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Washington Capitals at Nashville Predators: game preview

Puck drop29 Oct · 8:00 PM ET
VenueBridgestone Arena
All-time meetings42 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Nine points apart last season

Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Nashville finished 23rd on 86.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 43

Across 42 completed games, Nashville lead the head-to-head 22-15-5.

All-time record22-15-5Nashville's record in the series
Meetings played42This is number 43
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Washington
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
5 Feb 2026NSH 2 – WSH 4——WSH
11 Jan 2026WSH 2 – NSH 3——NSH
11 Jan 2025WSH 4 – NSH 1——WSH
6 Nov 2024NSH 2 – WSH 3——WSH
30 Dec 2023NSH 3 – WSH 2 SO——NSH
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateWashingtonNashville
11 Jan 202623-17-6 · 52 pts12th21-20-4 · 46 pts23rd
5 Feb 202625-21-7 · 57 pts19th24-23-4 · 52 pts26th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 11 Jan 2026, Washington were 12th in the league and Nashville 23rd. By 5 Feb 2026 it was 19th and 26th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Washington out-attempted Nashville 111 to 105

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

Washington Capitals

111 att · 62 on goal · 6 G · 9.7%
Crease8 att · 0 G
Slot38 att · 2 G
Wing34 att · 3 G
Point27 att · 1 G
Neutral zone4 att · 0 G

Nashville Predators

105 att · 50 on goal · 5 G · 10.0%
Crease13 att · 2 G
Slot33 att · 1 G
Wing46 att · 2 G
Point12 att · 0 G
Neutral zone1 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Washington and Nashville are level on 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.

WashingtonNashville
2.48xG for per game2.50
4.09xG against per game3.14
37.7%xG share44.3%
+1.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals−0.5
+3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+0.4

This season: 2 games for Washington, 3 for Nashville. 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 meetings—
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 meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-279 (4.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Nashville

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2737.5%
Power play · 2025-2623.1% · 11th
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2775.0%
Penalty kill · 2025-2681.7% · 5th
Faceoffs · 2026-2747.6% · 80/168
Drawn · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
89Alex Tuch22021.00
17Dylan Strome20221.00
91Steven Stamkos33141.33
21Nils Hoglander33031.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
44Cole Hutson21010.50
3Matt Roy20000.00
59Roman Josi31231.00
76Brady Skjei30110.33
47Jack Ahcan20110.50
Defencemen stats

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 28 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 27 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 26 Oct

Charlie Lindgren.9311 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx +1.4
Logan Thompson.9391 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +2.0

No appearances against Nashville in the last meetings.

Nashville crease

NSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 26 Oct

Juuse Saros.9073 GP · 1-1-1 · GSAx +0.4

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.1 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

5 Feb 20266 · NSH 2–4 WSH
11 Jan 20265 · WSH 2–3 NSH
11 Jan 20255 · WSH 4–1 NSH
6 Nov 20245 · NSH 2–3 WSH
30 Dec 20235 · NSH 3–2 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
Nashville2.333.003.013.28

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 suggest6.1Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings5.2Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

4 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

Matt RoyLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn7 Oct
Patrick ThomasUpper BodyIRReturn24 Oct
Rasmus SandinKneeIRReturn26 Dec

Nashville · injuries

Justus AnnunenUndisclosedIRReturn13 Oct
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).

6 Oct · NSH

Recalled G Matt Murray from Milwaukee (AHL). Placed G Justus Annunen on injured reserve.

4 Oct · NSH

Recalled LW Yegor Pinchuk from Milwaukee (AHL). Assigned G Matt Murray to Milwaukee.

3 Oct · NSH

Recalled G Matthew Murray from Milwaukee (AHL).

Injury report
#18Oliver SuvantoRound 1 · TapparaC
#101Tyus SparksRound 4 · SpokaneC
#144Brian McFaddenRound 5 · Thayer AcademyD
#208Logan StuartRound 7 · Usa U-18C
Full draft
#10Wyatt CullenRound 1 · Usa U-18LW
#31Thomas BleylRound 1 · MonctonD
#70Dmitri BorichevRound 3 · Loko-76 YaroslavlG
#106Jakub FlorisRound 4 · Lukko Jr.D
Full draft

Updated after every final