Early look · NHL 2026-27

Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals: game preview

DetroitRed Wings2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 41-31-10 · 92 pts · 16that

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

Puck drop23 Mar · 7:00 PM ET

VenueCapital One Arena

All-time meetings140 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Three points apart last season

Detroit finished last season 16th in the league on 92 points. Washington finished 12th 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 141

Across 140 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 73-55-12.

All-time record73-55-12Washington's record in the series

Meetings played140This is number 141

2025-26 series—

Last 53-2Washington

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

29 Jan 2026WSH 4 – DET 3 SO——WSH

21 Dec 2025WSH 2 – DET 3 OT——DET

20 Dec 2025DET 5 – WSH 2——DET

18 Mar 2025DET 1 – WSH 4——WSH

7 Mar 2025DET 2 – WSH 5——WSH

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateDetroitWashington

20 Dec 202520-13-3 · 43 pts6th19-12-4 · 42 pts8th

21 Dec 202521-13-3 · 45 pts5th19-12-5 · 43 pts7th

29 Jan 202632-16-5 · 69 pts4th25-21-7 · 57 pts19th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 20 Dec 2025, Detroit were 6th in the league and Washington 8th. By 29 Jan 2026 it was 4th and 19th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Detroit out-attempted Washington 188 to 186

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

Detroit Red Wings

188 att · 89 on goal · 11 G · 12.4%

Crease17 att · 1 G

Slot70 att · 5 G

Wing72 att · 2 G

Point24 att · 1 G

Neutral zone5 att · 2 G

Washington Capitals

186 att · 82 on goal · 7 G · 8.5%

Crease15 att · 1 G

Slot67 att · 4 G

Wing72 att · 2 G

Point26 att · 0 G

Neutral zone6 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Detroit 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.

DetroitWashington

3.23xG for per game2.48

2.85xG against per game4.09

53.1%xG share37.7%

−2.7FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.0

+0.6GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+3.2

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

Detroit

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2725.0%

Power play · 2025-2622.6% · 12th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2761.5%

Penalty kill · 2025-2677.1% · 23rd

Faceoffs · 2026-2753.6% · 97/181

Drawn · 2026-2712 (4.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2713 (4.33/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

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

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 →

Detroit

Expected starter after their game on 20 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington

Expected starter after their game on 21 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Detroit crease

DET · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 20 Mar

John Gibson.9033 GP · 1-2-0 · GSAx +0.4

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 20 Mar

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

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

No appearances against Detroit in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.0 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

29 Jan 20267 · WSH 4–3 DET

21 Dec 20255 · WSH 2–3 DET

20 Dec 20257 · DET 5–2 WSH

18 Mar 20255 · DET 1–4 WSH

7 Mar 20257 · DET 2–5 WSH

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Detroit2.332.672.943.15

Washington3.002.503.212.98

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 suggest6.0Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.2Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

10 on the injury lists

Detroit · injuries

Carter BearUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Chase StillmanUndisclosedIRReturn9 Oct

J.T. CompherUndisclosedOutReturn9 Oct

Jacob Bernard-DockerUpper BodyIRReturn9 Oct

Marco KasperUpper BodyIRReturn20 Oct

Mason AppletonUndisclosedIRReturn13 Oct

Simon EdvinssonContract DisputeOutReturn10 Oct

Washington · injuries

Matt RoyLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn7 Oct

Patrick ThomasUpper BodyIRReturn24 Oct

Rasmus SandinKneeIRReturn26 Dec

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

2 Oct · DET

Placed F Dylan Larkin on the non-roster injured reserve.

25 Sep · DET

Assigned Fs Ondrej Becher, Cameron Butler, Sheldon Dries, Noah Dower Nilsson, Dylan James, Jesse Kiiskinen, John Leonard, Sutter Muzzatti, Theo Rochette, Dominik Shine and Wilmer Skoog, Ds Ronnie Attard, Jacob Bryson, Shai Buium and William Lagesson and Gs Trey Augustine and Michal Postava to Grand Rapids (AHL).

20 Aug 2026 · DET

Acquired F Sutter Muzzatti from Nashville Predators for future considerations.

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).

Injury report

Detroit · 2026 draft

See all: Detroit · 2026 draft →

#23Jeffrey (JP) HurlbertRound 1 · KamloopsLW

#47Victor PlanteRound 2 · Usa U-18LW

#79Michal OrsulakRound 3 · Prince AlbertG

#108Adam LevacRound 4 · PeterboroughC

Full draft

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

Tuesday 23 March · the full slate

See all: Tuesday 23 March · the full slate →

WSHThis game 8:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals: game preview

Three points apart last season

Meeting number 141

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Detroit out-attempted Washington 188 to 186

Detroit Red Wings

Washington Capitals

Detroit and Washington are level on chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Detroit

Washington

Skaters to watch

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

Who has stopped this matchup

Detroit crease

Washington crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.0 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

10 on the injury lists

Detroit · injuries

Washington · injuries

Latest moves

Detroit · 2026 draft

Washington · 2026 draft

Tuesday 23 March · the full slate