Early look The full preview opens on Saturday 7 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 Ottawa Senators: game preview

Puck drop10 Nov · 7:00 PM ET
VenueCanadian Tire Centre
All-time meetings122 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Four points apart last season

Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Ottawa finished 9th on 99.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 123

Across 122 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 66-44-12.

All-time record66-44-12Washington's record in the series
Meetings played122This is number 123
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Ottawa
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
18 Mar 2026OTT 1 – WSH 4——WSH
1 Jan 2026WSH 3 – OTT 4——OTT
25 Oct 2025OTT 7 – WSH 1——OTT
3 Mar 2025OTT 4 – WSH 5 SO——WSH
30 Jan 2025WSH 4 – OTT 5 OT——OTT
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateWashingtonOttawa
25 Oct 20256-3-0 · 12 pts9th4-4-1 · 9 pts21st
1 Jan 202621-15-5 · 47 pts10th19-15-5 · 43 pts20th
18 Mar 202634-27-8 · 76 pts19th34-24-9 · 77 pts14th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 25 Oct 2025, Washington were 9th in the league and Ottawa 21st. By 18 Mar 2026 it was 19th and 14th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Ottawa out-attempted Washington 201 to 163

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

Washington Capitals

163 att · 67 on goal · 8 G · 11.9%
Crease11 att · 1 G
Slot56 att · 3 G
Wing64 att · 2 G
Point26 att · 1 G
Neutral zone6 att · 1 G

Ottawa Senators

201 att · 101 on goal · 12 G · 11.9%
Crease16 att · 5 G
Slot86 att · 5 G
Wing68 att · 1 G
Point25 att · 1 G
Neutral zone6 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Ottawa 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.

WashingtonOttawa
2.48xG for per game2.95
4.09xG against per game3.41
37.7%xG share46.4%
+1.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.1
+3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+2.2

This season: 2 games for Washington, 3 for Ottawa. 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

Ottawa

Small sample
Power play · 2026-277.7%
Power play · 2025-2624.0% · 8th
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2776.9%
Penalty kill · 2025-2675.7% · 29th
Faceoffs · 2026-2752.7% · 99/188
Drawn · 2026-2713 (4.33/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2713 (4.33/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
18Tim Stützle33362.00
22Michael Amadio32131.00
19Drake Batherson32131.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
44Cole Hutson21010.50
3Matt Roy20000.00
72Thomas Chabot31120.67
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 7 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 7 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 7 Nov

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

No appearances against Ottawa in the last meetings.

Ottawa crease

OTT · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 7 Nov

Linus Ullmark.9492 GP · 2-0-0 · GSAx +3.4
Samuel Ersson.8862 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −0.9

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

18 Mar 20265 · OTT 1–4 WSH
1 Jan 20267 · WSH 3–4 OTT
25 Oct 20258 · OTT 7–1 WSH
3 Mar 20259 · OTT 4–5 WSH
30 Jan 20259 · WSH 4–5 OTT

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
Ottawa3.332.673.393.00

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 meetings7.6Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

9 on the injury lists

Washington · injuries

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

Ottawa · injuries

Andre BurakovskyUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct
Artem ZubKneeIRReturn10 Oct
Blake MontgomeryUndisclosedIRReturn8 Oct
Jake SandersonLower BodyOutReturn8 Oct
Kurtis MacDermidUpper BodyIRReturn31 Oct
Linus UllmarkUndisclosedOutReturn8 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).

6 Oct · OTT

Recalled G Marcus Johansson from Belleville (AHL). Assigned D Donovan Sebrango to Belleville.

5 Oct · OTT

Recalled D Donovan Sebrango from Belleville (AHL). Placed LW Andre Burakovsky on injured reserve.

2 Oct · OTT

Loaned D Hoyt Stanley to Belleville (AHL).

Injury report
#18Oliver SuvantoRound 1 · TapparaC
#101Tyus SparksRound 4 · SpokaneC
#144Brian McFaddenRound 5 · Thayer AcademyD
#208Logan StuartRound 7 · Usa U-18C
Full draft
#25Jonas Lagerberg HoenRound 1 · Leksand Jr.RW
#32Jaxon CoverRound 1 · LondonRW
#72Adam NemecRound 3 · SudburyLW
#87Oscar HolmertzRound 3 · Linkoping Jr.C
Full draft

Updated after every final