Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals: game preview
DetroitRed Wings2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 41-31-10 · 92 pts · 16that
WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12thThree points apart last season
Detroit finished last season 16th in the league on 92 points. Washington finished 12th on 95.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 141
Across 140 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 73-55-12.
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 20 Dec 2025, Detroit were 6th in the league and Washington 8th. By 29 Jan 2026 it was 4th and 19th.
Detroit out-attempted Washington 188 to 186
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
Detroit Red Wings
Washington Capitals
Detroit and Washington 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.
This season: 3 games for Detroit, 2 for Washington. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for Detroit, 10 for Washington.
2025-26: 82 games for Detroit, 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
Detroit
Small sampleWashington
Small sampleSkaters to watch
Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.
Who has stopped this matchup
Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.
Expected starter after their game on 15 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Expected starter after their game on 15 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Detroit crease
DET · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 14 Dec
No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.
Washington crease
WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 14 Dec
No appearances against Detroit in the last meetings.
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
Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.
Scoring rates
Detroit2.332.672.943.15
Washington3.002.503.212.98Goals 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.
10 on the injury lists
Detroit · injuries
Washington · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Placed F Dylan Larkin on the non-roster injured reserve.
Assigned Fs Ondrej Becher, Cameron Butler, Sheldon Dries, Noah Dower Nilsson, Dylan James, Jesse Kiiskinen, John Leonard, Sutter Muzzatti, Theo Rochette, Dominik Shine and Wilmer Skoog, Ds Ronnie Attard, Jacob Bryson, Shai Buium and William Lagesson and Gs Trey Augustine and Michal Postava to Grand Rapids (AHL).
Acquired F Sutter Muzzatti from Nashville Predators for future considerations.
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).
Detroit · 2026 draft
See all: Detroit · 2026 draft →Washington · 2026 draft
See all: Washington · 2026 draft →
Updated after every final