Early look · NHL 2026-27

Washington Capitals at Vegas Golden Knights: game preview

WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12that

VegasGolden Knights2026-27: 3-1-0 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 39-26-17 · 95 pts · 13th

Puck drop30 Jan · 10:00 PM ET

VenueT-Mobile Arena

All-time meetings21 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Two clubs level on last season's points

Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Vegas finished 13th 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 22

Across 21 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 11-8-2.

All-time record11-8-2Washington's record in the series

Meetings played21This is number 22

2025-26 series—

Last 54-1Washington

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

28 Mar 2026WSH 5 – VGK 4 SO——WSH

27 Feb 2026VGK 2 – WSH 3——WSH

17 Nov 2024WSH 5 – VGK 2——WSH

15 Oct 2024VGK 2 – WSH 4——WSH

2 Dec 2023WSH 1 – VGK 4——VGK

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateWashingtonVegas

27 Feb 202625-21-7 · 57 pts19th25-14-12 · 62 pts11th

28 Mar 202637-28-9 · 83 pts16th32-26-16 · 80 pts19th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 27 Feb 2026, Washington were 19th in the league and Vegas 11th. By 28 Mar 2026 it was 16th and 19th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Vegas out-attempted Washington 128 to 100

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

Washington Capitals

100 att · 52 on goal · 7 G · 13.5%

Crease4 att · 0 G

Slot35 att · 4 G

Wing45 att · 3 G

Point11 att · 0 G

Neutral zone5 att · 0 G

Vegas Golden Knights

128 att · 55 on goal · 6 G · 10.9%

Crease11 att · 1 G

Slot58 att · 3 G

Wing41 att · 1 G

Point15 att · 1 G

Neutral zone3 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Vegas 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.

WashingtonVegas

2.48xG for per game3.79

4.09xG against per game2.09

37.7%xG share64.4%

+1.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.8

+3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−1.6

This season: 2 games for Washington, 4 for Vegas. 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

Vegas

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2731.3%

Power play · 2025-2624.6% · 6th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2783.3%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.4% · 7th

Faceoffs · 2026-2753.0% · 122/230

Drawn · 2026-2716 (4.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2712 (3.00/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.

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 →

Washington

Expected starter after their game on 29 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Vegas

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

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 27 Jan

Charlie Lindgren.9311 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx +1.4

Logan Thompson.9391 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +2.0

No appearances against Vegas in the last meetings.

Vegas crease

VGK · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 27 Jan

Carter Hart.8903 GP · 2-1-0 · GSAx −1.1

Adin Hill.9001 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx −0.5

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.

Totals

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

28 Mar 20269 · WSH 5–4 VGK

27 Feb 20265 · VGK 2–3 WSH

17 Nov 20247 · WSH 5–2 VGK

15 Oct 20246 · VGK 2–4 WSH

2 Dec 20235 · WSH 1–4 VGK

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

Vegas4.252.503.233.05

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 suggest6.2Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.4Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

6 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

Matt RoyLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn7 Oct

Patrick ThomasUpper BodyIRReturn24 Oct

Rasmus SandinKneeIRReturn26 Dec

Vegas · injuries

Lukas CormierUndisclosedIRReturn22 Oct

Raphael LavoieUndisclosedOutReturn8 Oct

Victor OlofssonUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

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).

30 Sep · VGK

Signed C William Karlsson to a two-year contract.

29 Sep · VGK

Placed C Jakub Cormier, RW Matyas Hemmerling and C Jakub Uchacz on the injured non-roster list.

23 Sep · VGK

Placed D Jaycob Megna, D Adam Ginning, D Joe Fleming, C Jakub Demek and D Jeremy Davies on waivers.

Injury report

Washington · 2026 draft

See all: Washington · 2026 draft →

#18Oliver SuvantoRound 1 · TapparaC

#101Tyus SparksRound 4 · SpokaneC

#144Brian McFaddenRound 5 · Thayer AcademyD

#208Logan StuartRound 7 · Usa U-18C

Full draft

Vegas · 2026 draft

See all: Vegas · 2026 draft →

#29Juho PiiparinenRound 1 · TapparaD

#63ForfeitedRound 2 ·

#92Benjamin WilmottRound 3 · BarrieC

#95Sean BurickRound 3 · PentictonD

Full draft

Saturday 30 January · the full slate

See all: Saturday 30 January · the full slate →

VGKThis game 10:00 PM ET

NSHat

ANA

Scores

Updated after every final

Washington Capitals at Vegas Golden Knights: game preview

Two clubs level on last season's points

Meeting number 22

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Vegas out-attempted Washington 128 to 100

Washington Capitals

Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Washington

Vegas

Skaters to watch

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

Who has stopped this matchup

Washington crease

Vegas crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

6 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

Vegas · injuries

Latest moves

Washington · 2026 draft

Vegas · 2026 draft

Saturday 30 January · the full slate