Early look The full preview opens on Tuesday 2 March, 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

Washington Capitals at Winnipeg Jets: game preview

Puck drop5 Mar · 7:00 PM ET
VenueCanada Life Centre
All-time meetings35 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Thirteen points apart last season

Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Winnipeg finished 26th on 82.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 36

Across 35 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 21-8-6.

All-time record21-8-6Washington's record in the series
Meetings played35This is number 36
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Winnipeg
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
13 Dec 2025WSH 1 – WPG 5——WPG
26 Nov 2025WPG 3 – WSH 4——WSH
25 Mar 2025WSH 2 – WPG 3 OT——WPG
1 Feb 2025WPG 5 – WSH 4 OT——WPG
24 Mar 2024WPG 0 – WSH 3——WSH
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateWashingtonWinnipeg
26 Nov 202513-9-2 · 28 pts12th12-10-0 · 24 pts26th
13 Dec 202518-10-4 · 40 pts7th15-15-1 · 31 pts26th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 26 Nov 2025, Washington were 12th in the league and Winnipeg 26th. By 13 Dec 2025 it was 7th and 26th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Winnipeg out-attempted Washington 124 to 109

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

Washington Capitals

109 att · 60 on goal · 5 G · 8.3%
Crease10 att · 1 G
Slot29 att · 0 G
Wing44 att · 2 G
Point24 att · 2 G
Neutral zone2 att · 0 G

Winnipeg Jets

124 att · 56 on goal · 8 G · 14.3%
Crease15 att · 3 G
Slot49 att · 4 G
Wing33 att · 1 G
Point22 att · 0 G
Neutral zone5 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Washington and Winnipeg 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.

WashingtonWinnipeg
2.48xG for per game3.37
4.09xG against per game3.37
37.7%xG share50.0%
+1.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals−1.1
+3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+2.1

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

Winnipeg

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2750.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.5% · 24th
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2788.9%
Penalty kill · 2025-2677.6% · 21st
Faceoffs · 2026-2744.6% · 79/177
Drawn · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-279 (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.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
89Alex Tuch22021.00
17Dylan Strome20221.00
81Kyle Connor33251.67
91Cole Perfetti32351.67
17Adam Lowry31231.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
44Cole Hutson21010.50
3Matt Roy20000.00
44Josh Morrissey30331.00
2Dylan DeMelo31120.67
38Mario Ferraro31010.33
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 3 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 1 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 2 Mar

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

No appearances against Winnipeg in the last meetings.

Winnipeg crease

WPG · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 2 Mar

Stuart Skinner.9092 GP · 1-0-1 · GSAx +1.1
Clay Stevenson.9381 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +1.0

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

13 Dec 20256 · WSH 1–5 WPG
26 Nov 20257 · WPG 3–4 WSH
25 Mar 20255 · WSH 2–3 WPG
1 Feb 20259 · WPG 5–4 WSH
24 Mar 20243 · WPG 0–3 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
Winnipeg3.002.672.823.17

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 meetings6.0Goals 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

Winnipeg · injuries

Connor HellebuyckSuspensionIRReturn17 Oct
Elias SalomonssonShoulderIRReturn15 Oct
Garrett BrownLower BodyIRReturn9 Oct
Walker DuehrLower BodyIRReturn17 Oct
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).

10 Aug 2026 · WPG

Signed F Tyrel Bauer to a two-year contract.

15 Jul 2026 · WPG

Signed F Cole Perfetti to a five-year contract.

13 Jul 2026 · WPG

Signed F Viggo Björck to a three-year contract.

Injury report
#18Oliver SuvantoRound 1 · TapparaC
#101Tyus SparksRound 4 · SpokaneC
#144Brian McFaddenRound 5 · Thayer AcademyD
#208Logan StuartRound 7 · Usa U-18C
Full draft
#8Viggo BjorckRound 1 · DjurgardenC
#71Samuel HrenakRound 3 · FargoG
#116Zach WootenRound 4 · Green BayLW
#135Alexandre TailleferRound 5 · QuebecD
Full draft

Updated after every final