Early look The full preview opens on Saturday 27 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

Chicago Blackhawks at Washington Capitals: game preview

Puck drop30 Mar · 7:00 PM ET
VenueCapital One Arena
All-time meetings111 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Twenty-three points apart last season

Chicago finished last season 31st in the league on 72 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 112

Across 111 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 57-46-8.

All-time record57-46-8Washington's record in the series
Meetings played111This is number 112
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Washington
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
9 Jan 2026WSH 5 – CHI 1——WSH
3 Jan 2026CHI 3 – WSH 2 SO——CHI
4 Apr 2025CHI 3 – WSH 5——WSH
17 Dec 2024WSH 2 – CHI 3——CHI
9 Mar 2024CHI 1 – WSH 4——WSH
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateChicagoWashington
3 Jan 202616-18-7 · 39 pts30th21-15-6 · 48 pts10th
9 Jan 202618-19-7 · 43 pts28th23-16-6 · 52 pts10th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 3 Jan 2026, Chicago were 30th in the league and Washington 10th. By 9 Jan 2026 it was 28th and 10th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Chicago out-attempted Washington 111 to 103

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

Chicago Blackhawks

111 att · 57 on goal · 3 G · 5.3%
Crease12 att · 0 G
Slot37 att · 2 G
Wing42 att · 1 G
Point18 att · 0 G
Neutral zone2 att · 0 G

Washington Capitals

103 att · 58 on goal · 7 G · 12.1%
Crease7 att · 2 G
Slot39 att · 4 G
Wing33 att · 1 G
Point19 att · 0 G
Neutral zone5 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Chicago 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.

ChicagoWashington
2.41xG for per game2.48
3.83xG against per game4.09
38.7%xG share37.7%
−0.7FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.0
−1.7GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+3.2

This season: 4 games for Chicago, 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

Chicago

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2711.1%
Power play · 2025-2616.9% · 29th
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2763.6%
Penalty kill · 2025-2683.6% · 2nd
Faceoffs · 2026-2742.1% · 99/235
Drawn · 2026-279 (2.25/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
16Anton Frondell41341.00
59Tyler Bertuzzi41120.50
91Frank Nazar41120.50
89Alex Tuch22021.00
17Dylan Strome20221.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
72Alex Vlasic40220.50
6Sam Rinzel31010.33
44Wyatt Kaiser40110.25
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 28 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 28 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Chicago crease

CHI · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 27 Mar

Spencer Knight.8913 GP · 1-2-0 · GSAx +0.5
Arvid Soderblom.8131 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −2.0

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 27 Mar

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

No appearances against Chicago 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

9 Jan 20266 · WSH 5–1 CHI
3 Jan 20265 · CHI 3–2 WSH
4 Apr 20258 · CHI 3–5 WSH
17 Dec 20245 · WSH 2–3 CHI
9 Mar 20245 · CHI 1–4 WSH

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Chicago2.254.252.603.35
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 meetings5.8Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

6 on the injury lists

Chicago · injuries

Andrew MangiapaneLower BodyOutReturn25 Oct
Connor BedardShoulderIRReturn7 Nov
Teuvo TeravainenUndisclosedOutReturn10 Oct

Washington · injuries

Matt RoyLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn7 Oct
Patrick ThomasUpper BodyIRReturn24 Oct
Rasmus SandinKneeIRReturn26 Dec
3 Oct · CHI

Assigned D Charles Alexis Legault to Chicago (AHL).

24 Sep · CHI

Agreed to terms with F Oliver Moore on a five-year contract extension. Loaned Fs Jiri felcman, Martin Misiak and Marek Vanacker and D Dylan Anhorn to Rockford (AHL). Assigned F Brett Seney to Rockford.

21 Sep · CHI

Placed D Derrick Pouliot 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
#34Xavier VilleneuveRound 2 · Blainville-boisbriandD
#35Ryan RoobroeckRound 2 · NiagaraLW
#66Samu AlalauriRound 3 · Pelicans Jr.D
#194Alexander IvanovRound 7 · Bars KazanD
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