Vegas Golden Knights at Washington Capitals: game preview
VegasGolden Knights2026-27: 3-1-0 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 39-26-17 · 95 pts · 13that
WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12thTwo clubs level on last season's points
Vegas finished last season 13th in the league on 95 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 22
Across 21 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 11-8-2.
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 27 Feb 2026, Vegas were 11th in the league and Washington 19th. By 28 Mar 2026 it was 19th and 16th.
Vegas out-attempted Washington 128 to 100
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
Vegas 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: 4 games for Vegas, 2 for Washington. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for Vegas, 10 for Washington.
2025-26: 87 games for Vegas, 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
Vegas
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 9 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Expected starter after their game on 10 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Vegas crease
VGK · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Jan
No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.
Washington crease
WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Jan
No appearances against Vegas in the last meetings.
Scoring rates point to about 6.2 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
Vegas4.252.503.233.05
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.
6 on the injury lists
Vegas · injuries
Washington · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Signed C William Karlsson to a two-year contract.
Placed C Jakub Cormier, RW Matyas Hemmerling and C Jakub Uchacz on the injured non-roster list.
Placed D Jaycob Megna, D Adam Ginning, D Joe Fleming, C Jakub Demek and D Jeremy Davies on waivers.
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).
Vegas · 2026 draft
See all: Vegas · 2026 draft →Washington · 2026 draft
See all: Washington · 2026 draft →
Updated after every final