Early look · NHL 2026-27

Washington Capitals at Colorado Avalanche: game preview

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

ColoradoAvalanche2026-27: 2-0-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 55-16-11 · 121 pts · 1st

Puck drop12 Dec · 9:00 PM ET

VenueBall Arena

All-time meetings46 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Twenty-six points apart last season

Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Colorado finished 1st on 121.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 47

Across 46 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 23-19-4.

All-time record23-19-4Washington's record in the series

Meetings played46This is number 47

2025-26 series—

Last 54-1Colorado

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

22 Mar 2026COL 3 – WSH 2 OT——COL

19 Jan 2026WSH 2 – COL 5——COL

21 Nov 2024COL 2 – WSH 1——COL

15 Nov 2024WSH 5 – COL 2——WSH

13 Feb 2024COL 6 – WSH 3——COL

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateWashingtonColorado

19 Jan 202624-20-6 · 54 pts17th34-5-8 · 76 pts1st

22 Mar 202635-27-9 · 79 pts17th46-13-10 · 102 pts1st

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 19 Jan 2026, Washington were 17th in the league and Colorado 1st. By 22 Mar 2026 it was 17th and 1st.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Colorado out-attempted Washington 149 to 98

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

Washington Capitals

98 att · 46 on goal · 4 G · 8.7%

Crease10 att · 0 G

Slot40 att · 2 G

Wing28 att · 1 G

Point20 att · 1 G

Neutral zone0 att · 0 G

Colorado Avalanche

149 att · 68 on goal · 8 G · 11.8%

Crease9 att · 1 G

Slot50 att · 6 G

Wing57 att · 1 G

Point31 att · 0 G

Neutral zone2 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Colorado 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.

WashingtonColorado

2.48xG for per game3.16

4.09xG against per game2.55

37.7%xG share55.4%

+1.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals+7.7

+3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+0.1

This season: 2 games for Washington, 2 for Colorado. 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

Colorado

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2744.4%

Power play · 2025-2617.1% · 27th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-27100.0%

Penalty kill · 2025-2684.6% · 1st

Faceoffs · 2026-2746.8% · 58/124

Drawn · 2026-279 (4.50/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-276 (3.00/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 10 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Colorado

Expected starter after their game on 8 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Dec

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

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

No appearances against Colorado in the last meetings.

Colorado crease

COL · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Dec

Mackenzie Blackwood.9122 GP · 2-0-0 · GSAx +0.1

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 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

22 Mar 20265 · COL 3–2 WSH

19 Jan 20267 · WSH 2–5 COL

21 Nov 20243 · COL 2–1 WSH

15 Nov 20247 · WSH 5–2 COL

13 Feb 20249 · COL 6–3 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

Colorado7.002.503.682.48

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 suggest6.3Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.2Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

7 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

Matt RoyLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn7 Oct

Patrick ThomasUpper BodyIRReturn24 Oct

Rasmus SandinKneeIRReturn26 Dec

Colorado · injuries

Georgii MerkulovUndisclosedIRReturn16 Oct

Logan O'ConnorLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct

Trent MinerUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Zachary L'HeureuxLower BodyIRReturn7 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).

27 Sep · COL

Placed LD Keaton Middleton, LD Wyatt Aamodt, RW/LW Fabian Lysell, C Vinnie Hinostroza, LW Adam Beckman and LW Tristen Nielsen on waivers.

27 Sep · COL

Placed D Keaton Middleton, D Wyatt Aamodt, LW Fabian Lysell, C Vinnie Hinostroza, LW Adam Beckman and G Mads Sogaard Nielsen on waivers.

25 Sep · COL

Reassigned Ds Domenick Fensore, Saige Weinstein and Christian Wolanin to Colorado (AHL).

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

Colorado · 2026 draft

See all: Colorado · 2026 draft →

#43Egor ShilovRound 2 · VictoriavilleC

#74Beckett HamiltonRound 3 · Red DeerC

#126Tobias TvrznikRound 4 · WenatcheeG

#128Axel ElofssonRound 4 · Orebro Jr.D

Full draft

Saturday 12 December · the full slate

See all: Saturday 12 December · the full slate →

COLThis game 10:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Washington Capitals at Colorado Avalanche: game preview

Twenty-six points apart last season

Meeting number 47

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Colorado out-attempted Washington 149 to 98

Washington Capitals

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Washington

Colorado

Skaters to watch

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

Who has stopped this matchup

Washington crease

Colorado crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

7 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

Colorado · injuries

Latest moves

Washington · 2026 draft

Colorado · 2026 draft

Saturday 12 December · the full slate