Early look The full preview opens on Monday 9 November, 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 New Jersey Devils: game preview

Puck drop12 Nov · 7:00 PM ET
VenuePrudential Center
All-time meetings231 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Eight points apart last season

Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. New Jersey finished 21st on 87, and the 2025-26 season series went WSH 2-1-1.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 232

Across 231 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 129-75-27.

All-time record129-75-27Washington's record in the series
Meetings played231This is number 232
2025-26 seriesWSH 2-1-1
Last 53-2Washington
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
2 Apr 2026WSH 3 – NJD 7——NJD
20 Mar 2026NJD 1 – WSH 2——WSH
27 Dec 2025WSH 4 – NJD 3 OT——WSH
15 Nov 2025NJD 3 – WSH 2 SO——NJD
30 Nov 2024WSH 6 – NJD 5——WSH
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateWashingtonNew Jersey
15 Nov 20258-8-2 · 18 pts26th13-4-1 · 27 pts2nd
27 Dec 202520-13-5 · 45 pts11th20-16-2 · 42 pts16th
20 Mar 202635-27-8 · 78 pts16th35-32-2 · 72 pts21st
2 Apr 202638-29-9 · 85 pts17th39-34-2 · 80 pts20th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 15 Nov 2025, Washington were 26th in the league and New Jersey 2nd. By 2 Apr 2026 it was 17th and 20th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

New Jersey out-attempted Washington 263 to 248

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

Washington Capitals

248 att · 124 on goal · 11 G · 8.9%
Crease19 att · 3 G
Slot104 att · 6 G
Wing82 att · 1 G
Point34 att · 0 G
Neutral zone9 att · 1 G

New Jersey Devils

263 att · 130 on goal · 13 G · 10.0%
Crease23 att · 0 G
Slot93 att · 6 G
Wing94 att · 4 G
Point51 att · 3 G
Neutral zone2 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

New Jersey 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.

WashingtonNew Jersey
2.48xG for per game3.52
4.09xG against per game3.01
37.7%xG share53.9%
+1.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals−4.5
+3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−4.0

This season: 2 games for Washington, 3 for New Jersey. 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

New Jersey

Small sample
Power play · 2026-277.1%
Power play · 2025-2622.0% · 13th
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2762.5%
Penalty kill · 2025-2679.3% · 17th
Faceoffs · 2026-2747.5% · 87/183
Drawn · 2026-2714 (4.67/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-278 (2.67/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
86Jack Hughes31120.67
63Jesper Bratt30220.67
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
44Cole Hutson21010.50
3Matt Roy20000.00
43Luke Hughes31010.33
47Declan Chisholm30110.33
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 10 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 10 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Nov

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

No appearances against New Jersey in the last meetings.

New Jersey crease

NJD · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Nov

Jake Allen.8752 GP · 1-1-0 · GSAx −1.7
Nico Daws.8131 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −2.5

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

2 Apr 202610 · WSH 3–7 NJD
20 Mar 20263 · NJD 1–2 WSH
27 Dec 20257 · WSH 4–3 NJD
15 Nov 20255 · NJD 3–2 WSH
30 Nov 202411 · WSH 6–5 NJD

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
New Jersey2.004.332.803.10

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 meetings7.2Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

8 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

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

New Jersey · injuries

Connor BrownLower BodyOutReturn12 Oct
Johnathan KovacevicKneeIRReturn10 Oct
Jonas SiegenthalerUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn10 Oct
Nick BjugstadPectoralIRReturn19 Jan
Seamus CaseyKneeIRReturn21 Nov
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).

27 Sep · NJD

Claimed LW Jeremie Poirier off waivers.

27 Sep · NJD

Claimed LW Jeremie Poirier off waivers. Placed C/RW Marc McLaughlin, LD Vladislav Kolyachonok, G David Rittich, LW Riley Tufte, LD Topias Vilen, and C/RW Colin White on waivers.

25 Sep · NJD

Assigned Ds Mikael Diotte, Ethan Edwards, Jeremy Hanzel, Etienne Morin and Anton Silaev, Fs Josh Filmon, Lenni Hameenaho, Shane Lachance, Matyas Melovsky, Xavier Parent, Cam Squires and Ben Steeves and G Jakub Malek to Utica (AHL). Waived for the purpose of assignment to Utica Ds DJ King, Charles Leddy and Eamon Powell, Fs Tristan Ashbrook, Zachary Gallant, Gabe Klassen, Jack Malone, Justin Pearson, Ryan Schmelzer, Cristophe Tellier and Jermey Wilmer and Gs Jeremy Brodeur and Seth Eisele.

Injury report
#18Oliver SuvantoRound 1 · TapparaC
#101Tyus SparksRound 4 · SpokaneC
#144Brian McFaddenRound 5 · Thayer AcademyD
#208Logan StuartRound 7 · Usa U-18C
Full draft
#12Alexander CommandRound 1 · Orebro Jr.C
#37Matias VanhanenRound 2 · EverettLW
#44Nikita ShcherbakovRound 2 · Ufa Jr.D
#119Lavr GashilovRound 4 · Yekaterinburg Jr.C
Full draft

Updated after every final