Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals: game preview
ColumbusBlue Jackets2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 40-30-12 · 92 pts · 17that
WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12thThree points apart last season
Columbus finished last season 17th in the league on 92 points. Washington finished 12th on 95, and the 2025-26 season series went WSH 4-0-0.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 70
Across 69 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 44-16-9.
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 24 Oct 2025, Columbus were 28th in the league and Washington 7th. By 14 Apr 2026 it was 16th and 12th.
Columbus out-attempted Washington 232 to 229
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Washington Capitals
Columbus 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: 2 games for Columbus, 2 for Washington. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for Columbus, 10 for Washington.
2025-26: 82 games for Columbus, 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
Columbus
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 22 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Expected starter after their game on 21 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Columbus crease
CBJ · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 23 Dec
No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.
Washington crease
WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 23 Dec
No appearances against Columbus 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
Columbus3.503.503.093.09
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.
3 on the injury lists
Columbus · injuries
No players listed.
Washington · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Placed LW Mikael Pyyhtia on waivers.
Placed D Ivan Provorov on injured reserve.
Assigned G Pheonix Copley to Cleveland (AHL).
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).
Columbus · 2026 draft
See all: Columbus · 2026 draft →Washington · 2026 draft
See all: Washington · 2026 draft →Saturday 26 December · the full slate
See all: Saturday 26 December · the full slate →
TBLat
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MIN8:00 PM ETCBJatWSHThis game10:00 PM ET
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LAK10:00 PM ET
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SJSUpdated after every final