Early look · NHL 2026-27

Washington Capitals at Calgary Flames: game preview

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

CalgaryFlames2026-27: 0-3-0 · 0 pts · 2025-26: 34-39-9 · 77 pts · 29th

Puck drop5 Dec · 3:30 PM ET

VenueScotiabank Saddledome

All-time meetings86 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Eighteen points apart last season

Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Calgary finished 29th on 77.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 87

Across 86 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 51-27-8.

All-time record51-27-8Washington's record in the series

Meetings played86This is number 87

2025-26 series—

Last 54-1Washington

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

9 Mar 2026CGY 3 – WSH 7——WSH

23 Jan 2026WSH 3 – CGY 1——WSH

25 Feb 2025CGY 3 – WSH 1——CGY

28 Jan 2025WSH 3 – CGY 1——WSH

18 Mar 2024WSH 5 – CGY 2——WSH

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateWashingtonCalgary

23 Jan 202625-21-6 · 56 pts19th21-25-5 · 47 pts30th

9 Mar 202632-26-7 · 71 pts17th25-31-7 · 57 pts31st

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 23 Jan 2026, Washington were 19th in the league and Calgary 30th. By 9 Mar 2026 it was 17th and 31st.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Calgary out-attempted Washington 135 to 135

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

Washington Capitals

135 att · 67 on goal · 10 G · 14.9%

Crease22 att · 3 G

Slot50 att · 3 G

Wing43 att · 3 G

Point15 att · 0 G

Neutral zone5 att · 1 G

Calgary Flames

135 att · 52 on goal · 4 G · 7.7%

Crease9 att · 1 G

Slot53 att · 3 G

Wing56 att · 0 G

Point12 att · 0 G

Neutral zone5 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Washington 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.

WashingtonCalgary

2.48xG for per game2.54

4.09xG against per game3.38

37.7%xG share42.9%

+1.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals−4.6

+3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−5.9

This season: 2 games for Washington, 3 for Calgary. 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

Calgary

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2740.0%

Power play · 2025-2616.2% · 31st

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2790.0%

Penalty kill · 2025-2680.4% · 12th

Faceoffs · 2026-2750.3% · 90/179

Drawn · 2026-275 (1.67/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2710 (3.33/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.

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 →

Washington

Expected starter after their game on 3 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Calgary

Expected starter after their game on 3 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 2 Dec

Charlie Lindgren.9311 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx +1.4

Logan Thompson.9391 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +2.0

No appearances against Calgary in the last meetings.

Calgary crease

CGY · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 2 Dec

Dustin Wolf.7972 GP · 0-2-0 · GSAx −5.5

Devin Cooley.8801 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −0.1

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring 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

9 Mar 202610 · CGY 3–7 WSH

23 Jan 20264 · WSH 3–1 CGY

25 Feb 20254 · CGY 3–1 WSH

28 Jan 20254 · WSH 3–1 CGY

18 Mar 20247 · WSH 5–2 CGY

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

Calgary1.005.332.593.16

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 suggest6.0Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings5.8Goals 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

Calgary · injuries

Jonathan HuberdeauHipIRReturn10 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).

5 Oct · CGY

Placed D Brayden Pachal and C Connor Zary on waivers.

26 Sep · CGY

Waived F Alex Nylander.

25 Sep · CGY

Assigned Fs Andrew Basha, Will Dineen and Tyson Gross, Ds Hunter Brzustewicz and Axel Hurtig and G Arsenii Sergeev to Calgary (AHL). Waived for the purpose of assignment to Calgary Fs Dryden Hunt, Ben Jones, Rory Kerins, Sam Morton and William Stromgren and Ds Michael Benning, Andreas Englund and Jake Livingstone.

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

Calgary · 2026 draft

See all: Calgary · 2026 draft →

#6Carson CarelsRound 1 · Prince GeorgeD

#30Jack HextallRound 1 · YoungstownC

#36Chase HarringtonRound 2 · SpokaneLW

#42Tobias TrejbalRound 2 · YoungstownG

Full draft

Saturday 5 December · the full slate

See all: Saturday 5 December · the full slate →

CGYThis game 7:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Washington Capitals at Calgary Flames: game preview

Eighteen points apart last season

Meeting number 87

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Calgary out-attempted Washington 135 to 135

Washington Capitals

Calgary Flames

Washington have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Washington

Calgary

Skaters to watch

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

Who has stopped this matchup

Washington crease

Calgary crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.0 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

4 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

Calgary · injuries

Latest moves

Washington · 2026 draft

Calgary · 2026 draft

Saturday 5 December · the full slate