Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins: game preview
WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12that
PittsburghPenguins2026-27: 2-1-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 41-25-16 · 98 pts · 10thThree points apart last season
Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Pittsburgh finished 10th on 98, and the 2025-26 season series went WSH 2-1-0.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 327
Across 326 completed games, Pittsburgh lead the head-to-head 177-132-17.
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 6 Nov 2025, Washington were 19th in the league and Pittsburgh 4th. By 12 Apr 2026 it was 12th and 8th.
Pittsburgh out-attempted Washington 325 to 291
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
Washington Capitals
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington and Pittsburgh are level on 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, 3 for Pittsburgh. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for Washington, 10 for Pittsburgh.
2025-26: 82 games for Washington, 82 for Pittsburgh.
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 samplePittsburgh
Small sampleConnor McMichael has 6 points in the last 5 meetings
Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.
Connor McMichael vs Pittsburgh · game by game
See all: Connor McMichael vs Pittsburgh · game by game →Arturs Silovs has started most of these meetings
Arturs Silovs played 2 of the last 5 meetings with Washington, with a .869 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.
Expected starter after their game on 16 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Expected starter after their game on 16 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Logan Thompson
See all: Logan Thompson →WSH · 1-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 15 Jan
Also on the roster, 2026-27: Charlie Lindgren .931 (1 GP)
Full game logArturs Silovs
See all: Arturs Silovs →PIT · 2-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 15 Jan
Also on the roster, 2026-27: Sergei Murashov .912 (1 GP)
Full game logScoring rates point to about 6.5 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
Pittsburgh5.002.673.573.27Goals 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
Pittsburgh · 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).
Activated C/RW Benjamin Kindel from injured reserve. Placed C/LW David Gustafsson on waivers.
Assigned F Rutger McGroarty to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).
Reinstated C Blake Lizotte from injured reserve.
Washington · 2026 draft
See all: Washington · 2026 draft →Pittsburgh · 2026 draft
See all: Pittsburgh · 2026 draft →
Updated after every final