‹FRI JAN 29›
3 games
Early look The full preview opens on Tuesday 26 January, 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 Utah Mammoth: game preview

Puck drop29 Jan · 9:00 PM ET
VenueDelta Center
All-time meetings4 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Three points apart last season

Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Utah finished 15th on 92.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 5

Across 4 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 2-1-1.

All-time record2-1-1Washington's record in the series
Meetings played4This is number 5
2025-26 series—
Last 42-2Washington
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
26 Mar 2026WSH 7 – UTA 4——WSH
3 Mar 2026UTA 3 – WSH 2——UTA
9 Feb 2025UTA 5 – WSH 4 SO——UTA
18 Nov 2024WSH 6 – UTA 2——WSH
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateWashingtonUtah
3 Mar 202625-21-7 · 57 pts19th27-21-4 · 58 pts16th
26 Mar 202636-28-9 · 81 pts16th37-30-6 · 80 pts18th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 3 Mar 2026, Washington were 19th in the league and Utah 16th. By 26 Mar 2026 it was 16th and 18th.


Where the shots come from · last 4 meetings

Utah out-attempted Washington 165 to 107

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

Washington Capitals

107 att · 50 on goal · 9 G · 18.0%
Crease11 att · 0 G
Slot39 att · 2 G
Wing35 att · 4 G
Point16 att · 2 G
Neutral zone6 att · 1 G

Utah Mammoth

165 att · 63 on goal · 7 G · 11.1%
Crease13 att · 2 G
Slot62 att · 3 G
Wing59 att · 0 G
Point25 att · 2 G
Neutral zone6 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Utah 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.

WashingtonUtah
2.48xG for per game3.62
4.09xG against per game2.71
37.7%xG share57.2%
+1.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals+2.5
+3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+2.8

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

Utah

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2761.5%
Power play · 2025-2620.0% · 18th
Power play · last 4 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2792.9%
Penalty kill · 2025-2678.1% · 19th
Faceoffs · 2026-2753.0% · 124/234
Drawn · 2026-2713 (3.25/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2714 (3.50/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
89Alex Tuch22021.00
17Dylan Strome20221.00
8Nick Schmaltz45271.75
11Dylan Guenther43361.50
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
44Cole Hutson21010.50
3Matt Roy20000.00
20Andrew Peeke41120.50
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 24 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 27 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 26 Jan

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

No appearances against Utah in the last meetings.

Utah crease

UTA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 26 Jan

Karel Vejmelka.9133 GP · 2-1-0 · GSAx +1.7
Sebastian Cossa.9471 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +1.4

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 4 meetings

26 Mar 202611 · WSH 7–4 UTA
3 Mar 20265 · UTA 3–2 WSH
9 Feb 20259 · UTA 5–4 WSH
18 Nov 20248 · WSH 6–2 UTA

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
Utah4.252.003.272.93

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 4 meetings8.3Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

5 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

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

Utah · injuries

Maveric LamoureuxShoulderIRReturn12 Feb
Mikhail SergachevUpper BodyDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct
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 · UTA

Placed LW Ben McCartney on waivers.

25 Sep · UTA

Assigned Fs Yegor Borikov, Caleb Desnoyers, Tij Iginla, Gabe Smith and G Michael Hrabal to Tucson (AHL). Waived for the purpose of assignment to Fs Brandon Tanev and Joshua Roy and D Zac Jones.

23 Jul 2026 · UTA

Signed D Max Psenicka to a three-year contract.

Injury report
#18Oliver SuvantoRound 1 · TapparaC
#101Tyus SparksRound 4 · SpokaneC
#144Brian McFaddenRound 5 · Thayer AcademyD
#208Logan StuartRound 7 · Usa U-18C
Full draft
#17Ethan BelchetzRound 1 · WindsorLW
#96Adam ValentiniRound 3 · MichiganC
#115Carl AxelssonRound 4 · MuskegonG
#130Theodor KnightsRound 5 · Modo Jr.D
Full draft

Updated after every final