Early look · NHL 2026-27

Buffalo Sabres at Washington Capitals: game preview

BuffaloSabres2026-27: 2-1-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 50-23-9 · 109 pts · 4that

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

Puck drop19 Nov · 7:00 PM ET

VenueCapital One Arena

All-time meetings196 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Fourteen points apart last season

Buffalo finished last season 4th in the league on 109 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 197

Across 196 completed games, Buffalo lead the head-to-head 112-66-18.

All-time record112-66-18Buffalo's record in the series

Meetings played196This is number 197

2025-26 series—

Last 53-2Buffalo

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

4 Apr 2026BUF 2 – WSH 6——WSH

12 Mar 2026WSH 2 – BUF 1——WSH

1 Nov 2025WSH 3 – BUF 4 SO——BUF

30 Mar 2025BUF 8 – WSH 5——BUF

6 Jan 2025WSH 3 – BUF 4 SO——BUF

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateBuffaloWashington

1 Nov 20255-4-3 · 13 pts24th6-5-1 · 13 pts20th

12 Mar 202640-20-6 · 86 pts5th33-27-7 · 73 pts18th

4 Apr 202646-23-8 · 100 pts6th39-29-9 · 87 pts15th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 1 Nov 2025, Buffalo were 24th in the league and Washington 20th. By 4 Apr 2026 it was 6th and 15th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Buffalo out-attempted Washington 181 to 172

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

Buffalo Sabres

181 att · 93 on goal · 6 G · 6.5%

Crease12 att · 1 G

Slot66 att · 5 G

Wing77 att · 0 G

Point24 att · 0 G

Neutral zone2 att · 0 G

Washington Capitals

172 att · 84 on goal · 11 G · 13.1%

Crease9 att · 1 G

Slot59 att · 6 G

Wing68 att · 4 G

Point29 att · 0 G

Neutral zone7 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Buffalo 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.

BuffaloWashington

3.53xG for per game2.48

2.17xG against per game4.09

62.0%xG share37.7%

−0.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.0

−4.5GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+3.2

This season: 3 games for Buffalo, 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

Buffalo

Small sample

Power play · 2026-270.0%

Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 21st

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2766.7%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.9% · 4th

Faceoffs · 2026-2750.6% · 91/180

Drawn · 2026-2710 (3.33/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/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 →

Buffalo

Expected starter after their game on 17 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington

Expected starter after their game on 17 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Buffalo crease

BUF · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 16 Nov

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.7842 GP · 1-1-0 · GSAx −3.7

Colten Ellis.9001 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx −0.2

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 16 Nov

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

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

No appearances against Buffalo in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 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

4 Apr 20268 · BUF 2–6 WSH

12 Mar 20263 · WSH 2–1 BUF

1 Nov 20257 · WSH 3–4 BUF

30 Mar 202513 · BUF 8–5 WSH

6 Jan 20257 · WSH 3–4 BUF

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

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

Buffalo3.333.673.512.94

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 suggest6.3Goals 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

Buffalo · injuries

Alex LyonUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Conor TimminsLower BodyIRReturn17 Oct

Jack RathboneUndisclosedIRReturn24 Oct

Jason ZuckerAbdomenIRReturn15 Oct

Josh DoanLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Topias LeinonenLower BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Washington · injuries

Matt RoyLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn7 Oct

Patrick ThomasUpper BodyIRReturn24 Oct

Rasmus SandinKneeIRReturn26 Dec

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

2 Oct · BUF

Loaned D Dennis Gilbert to Rochester (AHL).

1 Oct · BUF

Recalled D Dennis Gilbert from Rochester (AHL). Placed G Alex Lyon and D Olen Zellweger on injured reserve. Signed D Louis Crevier to a four-year contract. Transferred F Matthew Savoie to long-term injured reserve.

14 Sep · BUF

Signed C Noah Östlund to an eight-year contract.

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

Buffalo · 2026 draft

See all: Buffalo · 2026 draft →

#4Daxon RudolphRound 1 · Prince AlbertD

#20Ilia MorozovRound 1 · MiamiC

#124Olivers MurnieksRound 4 · Saint JohnC

#156Doman SzongothRound 5 · Kookoo Jr.C

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

Thursday 19 November · the full slate

See all: Thursday 19 November · the full slate →

WSHThis game 7:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Buffalo Sabres at Washington Capitals: game preview

Fourteen points apart last season

Meeting number 197

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Buffalo out-attempted Washington 181 to 172

Buffalo Sabres

Washington Capitals

Buffalo have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Buffalo

Washington

Skaters to watch

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

Who has stopped this matchup

Buffalo crease

Washington crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

9 on the injury lists

Buffalo · injuries

Washington · injuries

Latest moves

Buffalo · 2026 draft

Washington · 2026 draft

Thursday 19 November · the full slate