New York Islanders at Washington Capitals: game preview
NY IslandersIslanders2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-34-5 · 91 pts · 19that
WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12thFour points apart last season
NY Islanders finished last season 19th in the league on 91 points. Washington finished 12th on 95, and the 2025-26 season series went WSH 3-1-0.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 296
Across 295 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 150-120-25.
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 11 Oct 2025, NY Islanders were 31st in the league and Washington 18th. By 2 Feb 2026 it was 13th and 19th.
NY Islanders out-attempted Washington 260 to 220
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
New York Islanders
Washington Capitals
NY Islanders and Washington 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: 3 games for NY Islanders, 2 for Washington. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for NY Islanders, 10 for Washington.
2025-26: 82 games for NY Islanders, 82 for Washington.
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
NY Islanders
Small sampleWashington
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 20 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Expected starter after their game on 19 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
NY Islanders crease
NYI · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 19 Jan
No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.
Washington crease
WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 19 Jan
No appearances against NY Islanders in the last meetings.
Scoring rates point to about 5.9 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
NY Islanders3.002.332.842.94
Washington3.002.503.212.98Goals 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.
5 on the injury lists
NY Islanders · injuries
Washington · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Agreed to terms with LD Logan Stanley on a 1-Year contract worth $1.5M. Placed G Vitek Vanecek on waivers with the intention of sending to Hamilton (AHL)
Waived Fs Tanner Fritz, Matt Luff and Nathan Chaffee. Waived Fs Dylan Foudy and Hudson Kuefler for the purpose of sending to Hamilton (AHL).
Signed F Alex Jefferies to a one-year contract.
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).
NY Islanders · 2026 draft
See all: NY Islanders · 2026 draft →Washington · 2026 draft
See all: Washington · 2026 draft →Friday 22 January · the full slate
See all: Friday 22 January · the full slate →
Updated after every final