Washington Capitals at Anaheim Ducks: game preview
WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12that
AnaheimDucks2026-27: 2-0-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 43-33-6 · 92 pts · 18thThree points apart last season
Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Anaheim finished 18th on 92.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 51
Across 50 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 28-19-3.
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 5 Dec 2025, Washington were 3rd in the league and Anaheim 4th. By 5 Jan 2026 it was 9th and 23rd.
Anaheim out-attempted Washington 157 to 107
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
Washington Capitals
Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim 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 Washington, 2 for Anaheim. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for Washington, 10 for Anaheim.
2025-26: 82 games for Washington, 87 for Anaheim.
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 sampleAnaheim
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 8 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Expected starter after their game on 8 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Washington crease
WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 7 Jan
No appearances against Anaheim in the last meetings.
Anaheim crease
ANA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 7 Jan
No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.
Scoring rates point to about 6.4 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
Washington3.002.503.212.98
Anaheim3.502.503.333.51Goals 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.
6 on the injury lists
Washington · injuries
Anaheim · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →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).
Signed D Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension.
Reassigned C Roger McQueen and C Cruz Lucius to San Diego (AHL). Recalled D Noah Warren, D Ian Mitchell and D Tristan Luneau from San Diego. Placed D Drew Helleson on injured reserve. Moved RW Troy Terry from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve.
Placed G Laurent Brossoit and D Travis Mitchell on waivers.
Washington · 2026 draft
See all: Washington · 2026 draft →Anaheim · 2026 draft
See all: Anaheim · 2026 draft →Sunday 10 January · the full slate
See all: Sunday 10 January · the full slate →
Updated after every final