Early look The full preview opens on Saturday 13 February, 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

Anaheim Ducks at Washington Capitals: game preview

Puck drop16 Feb · 7:00 PM ET
VenueCapital One Arena
All-time meetings50 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Three points apart last season

Anaheim finished last season 18th 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.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 51

Across 50 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 28-19-3.

All-time record28-19-3Washington's record in the series
Meetings played50This is number 51
2025-26 series—
Last 54-1Washington
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
5 Jan 2026ANA 4 – WSH 7——WSH
5 Dec 2025WSH 3 – ANA 4 SO——ANA
11 Mar 2025WSH 7 – ANA 4——WSH
14 Jan 2025ANA 0 – WSH 3——WSH
16 Jan 2024ANA 0 – WSH 2——WSH
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateAnaheimWashington
5 Dec 202517-10-1 · 35 pts4th17-9-3 · 37 pts3rd
5 Jan 202621-18-3 · 45 pts23rd22-15-6 · 50 pts9th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 5 Dec 2025, Anaheim were 4th in the league and Washington 3rd. By 5 Jan 2026 it was 23rd and 9th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Anaheim out-attempted Washington 157 to 107

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

Anaheim Ducks

157 att · 83 on goal · 7 G · 8.4%
Crease10 att · 0 G
Slot58 att · 5 G
Wing64 att · 1 G
Point24 att · 1 G
Neutral zone1 att · 0 G

Washington Capitals

107 att · 50 on goal · 10 G · 20.0%
Crease11 att · 2 G
Slot34 att · 4 G
Wing40 att · 2 G
Point16 att · 0 G
Neutral zone6 att · 2 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Anaheim 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.

AnaheimWashington
2.19xG for per game2.48
3.49xG against per game4.09
38.6%xG share37.7%
+2.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.0
+2.0GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+3.2

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

Anaheim

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2750.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.6% · 23rd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2785.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2676.4% · 27th
Faceoffs · 2026-2743.9% · 50/114
Drawn · 2026-276 (3.00/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-277 (3.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

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

Skaters

Skaters to watch

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

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
91Leo Carlsson21452.50
61Cutter Gauthier22242.00
64Mikael Granlund21121.00
89Alex Tuch22021.00
17Dylan Strome20221.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
67Tristan Luneau20110.50
47Noah Warren20110.50
44Cole Hutson21010.50
3Matt Roy20000.00
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 15 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 14 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Anaheim crease

ANA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 13 Feb

Lukas Dostal.9182 GP · 2-0-0 · GSAx +2.0

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 13 Feb

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

No appearances against Anaheim in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.4 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 Jan 202611 · ANA 4–7 WSH
5 Dec 20257 · WSH 3–4 ANA
11 Mar 202511 · WSH 7–4 ANA
14 Jan 20253 · ANA 0–3 WSH
16 Jan 20242 · ANA 0–2 WSH

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Anaheim3.502.503.333.51
Washington3.002.503.212.98

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 suggest6.4Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings6.8Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

6 on the injury lists

Anaheim · injuries

Drew HellesonLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct
Ian MooreLower BodyIRReturn16 Oct
Troy TerryHipIRReturn21 Nov

Washington · injuries

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

Signed D Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension.

30 Sep · ANA

Reassigned C Roger McQueen and C Cruz Lucius to San Diego (AHL). Recalled D Noah Warren, D Ian Mitchell and D Tristan Luneau from San Diego. Placed D Drew Helleson on injured reserve. Moved RW Troy Terry from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · ANA

Placed G Laurent Brossoit and D Travis Mitchell on waivers.

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).

Injury report
#15Nikita KlepovRound 1 · SaginawRW
#28Marcus NordmarkRound 1 · Djurgarden Jr.LW
#45Jayden KurtzRound 2 · RogersD
#50Mathis PrestonRound 2 · VancouverRW
Full draft
#18Oliver SuvantoRound 1 · TapparaC
#101Tyus SparksRound 4 · SpokaneC
#144Brian McFaddenRound 5 · Thayer AcademyD
#208Logan StuartRound 7 · Usa U-18C
Full draft

Updated after every final