‹FRI MAR 26›
3 games
Early look The full preview opens on Tuesday 23 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

Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals: game preview

Puck drop26 Mar · 7:00 PM ET
VenueCapital One Arena
All-time meetings213 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Five points apart last season

Boston finished last season 8th in the league on 100 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 214

Across 213 completed games, Boston lead the head-to-head 118-68-27.

All-time record118-68-27Boston's record in the series
Meetings played213This is number 214
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Boston
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
14 Mar 2026BOS 3 – WSH 2 SO——BOS
7 Mar 2026WSH 1 – BOS 3——BOS
8 Oct 2025BOS 3 – WSH 1——BOS
1 Apr 2025WSH 4 – BOS 3——WSH
31 Dec 2024BOS 1 – WSH 3——WSH
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateBostonWashington
8 Oct 20251-0-0 · 2 pts4th0-1-0 · 0 pts30th
7 Mar 202630-20-3 · 63 pts10th25-21-7 · 57 pts19th
14 Mar 202637-23-6 · 80 pts10th33-27-8 · 74 pts18th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 8 Oct 2025, Boston were 4th in the league and Washington 30th. By 14 Mar 2026 it was 10th and 18th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Washington out-attempted Boston 189 to 184

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

Boston Bruins

184 att · 86 on goal · 8 G · 9.3%
Crease10 att · 1 G
Slot67 att · 3 G
Wing72 att · 0 G
Point26 att · 4 G
Neutral zone9 att · 0 G

Washington Capitals

189 att · 87 on goal · 4 G · 4.6%
Crease15 att · 0 G
Slot65 att · 2 G
Wing70 att · 1 G
Point30 att · 1 G
Neutral zone9 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Washington 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.

BostonWashington
2.87xG for per game2.48
3.13xG against per game4.09
47.8%xG share37.7%
−2.5FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.0
+1.5GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+3.2

This season: 4 games for Boston, 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

Boston

Small sample
Power play · 2026-270.0%
Power play · 2025-2623.4% · 9th
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2772.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2677.0% · 24th
Faceoffs · 2026-2750.4% · 117/232
Drawn · 2026-2710 (2.50/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2711 (2.75/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
47Mark Kastelic41230.75
10JJ Peterka42020.50
44James Hagens42020.50
89Alex Tuch22021.00
17Dylan Strome20221.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
27Hampus Lindholm41120.50
91Nikita Zadorov40220.50
6Mason Lohrei40220.50
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 25 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 24 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Boston crease

BOS · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 23 Mar

Jeremy Swayman.9143 GP · 2-1-0 · GSAx +1.4
Michael DiPietro.8971 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −0.7

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 23 Mar

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

No appearances against Boston in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.1 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

14 Mar 20265 · BOS 3–2 WSH
7 Mar 20264 · WSH 1–3 BOS
8 Oct 20254 · BOS 3–1 WSH
1 Apr 20257 · WSH 4–3 BOS
31 Dec 20244 · BOS 1–3 WSH

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Boston2.252.753.323.05
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 suggest6.1Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings4.8Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

4 on the injury lists

Boston · injuries

Charlie McAvoySuspensionOutReturn13 Oct

Washington · injuries

Matt RoyLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn7 Oct
Patrick ThomasUpper BodyIRReturn24 Oct
Rasmus SandinKneeIRReturn26 Dec
5 Oct · BOS

Reinstated C Matthew Poitras from injured reserve.

4 Oct · BOS

Placed RW Michael Eyssimont on waivers.

27 Sep · BOS

Placed D Henri Jokiharju on waivers. Placed C Matthew Poitras on injured reserve.

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
#56Yuri IvanovRound 2 · Spartak Jr.G
#88Nils BartholdssonRound 3 · Rogle Jr.RW
#104Matvei KotkovRound 4 · Yaroslavl Jr.RW
#122Oscar OlssonRound 4 · Orebro Jr.LW
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