New Jersey Devils vs Washington Capitals Final — October 17, 2026
NJStarting goaliesWSH
NJOffenseFull 2025-26 regular season (last season)WSHNJDefenseWSHNJTeamWSHNJ5-on-5WSHNJSpecial teamsWSHNJRecent formWSHNJHome and roadseason to dateWSHInjuries & restkey injuries · rest and travel
NJRest & travelWSHNJKey injuriesWSHAbout these numbers
Goalie status from the G&W goalie tracker (Confirmed, Expected, Likely or Not confirmed); teams confirm starters close to puck drop. Season lines come from the NHL Lab goalie tables. GSAx = goals saved above expected (Gridiron & Wine expected goals). HD Sv% = save rate on high-danger shots.
Full 2025-26 regular season (last season), captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (32 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.
2025-26 regular season, public NHL Lab tables; ranks out of 32 teams. Expected goals are Gridiron & Wine's own expected-goals numbers.
2025-26 regular season. Rates are per 60 minutes of power-play or penalty-kill time.
Regular-season results this season, oldest to newest (OTL = overtime or shootout loss). Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Over–under uses the consensus closing total.
Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.
Key players only. Injury report as of October 17, 10:10 a.m. ET.
The pre-game matchup
The Devils (4-3-0) visited the Capitals (4-3-0) on Saturday, October 17 at 1:10 PM ET.
Last season (2025-26), the Devils scored 2.80 goals per game (27th of 32) and allowed 3.10 (17th). The Capitals scored 3.21 goals per game (15th of 32) and allowed 2.98 (10th). The Devils earned 53.0% of available standings points (21st) and the Capitals 57.9% (12th).
Expected-goals share (5-on-5), the share of 5-on-5 expected goals created: Devils 49.7% (18th), Capitals 50.0% (17th). Shot-attempt share (5-on-5), the share of all 5-on-5 shot attempts: Devils 51.4% (10th), Capitals 49.4% (15th). High-danger chance share, the share of 5-on-5 high-danger chances: Devils 48.9% (18th), Capitals 46.9% (22nd). These are last season's full-season numbers because the new season's sample is still small; rosters change over the offseason.
The total closed at 6.5, up from 5.5 at the open. After removing the vig, the closing moneyline (Devils -102, Capitals -118) prices the Devils at 48% and the Capitals at 52%.
Written from the numbers available before kickoff.
Result
Final score and result vs the closing line
New Jersey Devils 2, Washington Capitals 4
Washington Capitals won by 2.
- Against the closing spread (Washington Capitals -1.5): Washington Capitals covered.
- Combined score 6 vs the closing total of 6.5: Under.
- Washington Capitals closed at -118 on the moneyline (a 52% no-vig market-implied chance).
Actual result
Washington Capitals 4
Before the game: market and G&W
From open to close the market moved 4 points toward New Jersey Devils.
Market numbers are the consensus moneyline with the bookmaker margin removed.
Win probability
Each team's chance of winning through the game, starting from the market's closing price (New Jersey Devils 48%, Washington Capitals 52%) and moving with every goal, penalty and the clock until the final.
Biggest swings
- 1st 10:04 — New Jersey Devils goal (1-0)New Jersey Devils 50% → 65% (+15 pts)
- 1st 16:42 — Washington Capitals goal (1-1)Washington Capitals 35% → 53% (+18 pts)
- 2nd 1:16 — Washington Capitals goal (1-2)Washington Capitals 51% → 69% (+18 pts)
Washington Capitals won after falling as low as 35% (1st 15:10).
Chance Quality Result
Based on the quality of chances each team created, New Jersey Devils won 68% of G&W replays (Washington Capitals 32%). The result went the other way from the chances each team created.
The Chance Quality Result describes the chances each team created. It is not the official result and never changes it or any record. Expected goals count regulation chances with both goalies in net; empty-net goals are not included. Season xG tables count every game state, empty nets included, so their totals differ.
Game DNA
The Chance Quality Result above favoured New Jersey Devils. Here is where that came from.
| Devils | Goals | Capitals |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 | 5-on-5 chancesexpected goals | 1.9 |
| 1.2 | Power-play chancesexpected goals | 0.4 |
| 0.0 | Other situations4-on-4, 3-on-3, short-handed | 0.0 |
| 3.6 | Chance Quality Result chancesthe three rows above, as in the result | 2.3 |
| 0.4 | Second chancesrebounds and flurries, part of the above | 0.2 |
| -1.6 | Finishinggoals vs expected on own shots | +1.7 |
| -1.7 | Goaltendingsaves vs expected · Jake Allen 21/25 · Logan Thompson 29/31 | +1.6 |
How the margin was built, from Washington Capitals's side:
The first three rows add up to the Chance Quality Result's expected goals. Overtime chances and chances with a goalie pulled are listed on their own, and empty-net goals are not in expected goals. A team's finishing and the other team's goaltending are the same goals seen from each end.
Line review
Washington Capitals closed as the market favourite at 52% and won.
The line moved toward New Jersey Devils before puck drop, and they lost.
Market
Closing line and line movement
Devils +1.5 (-211)
Devils +1.5 (-267)
Capitals -141 56%
Capitals -118 52%
Consensus of US sportsbooks. Open = first line after both teams' previous games; Close = consensus at kickoff. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.
Members
G&W Line
G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics
Matchup
Head-to-head
The teams have met 35 times since 2018-19: the Devils won 12 and the Capitals 23.
| Date | Score | Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2026 | Capitals 3, Devils 7 Devils won | Devils -112 favorite won | 6.5 over |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Devils 1, Capitals 2 Capitals won | Capitals -125 favorite won | 6 under |
| Dec 27, 2025 | Capitals 4, Devils 3 OT Capitals won | Devils -120 underdog won | 5.5 over |
| Nov 15, 2025 | Devils 3, Capitals 2 SO Devils won | Capitals -148 underdog won | 5.5 under |
| Nov 30, 2024 | Capitals 6, Devils 5 Capitals won | Devils -162 underdog won | 6.5 over |
Regular-season meetings since 2018-19, most recent first. Line = consensus closing moneyline favorite and total where line history is available.
Teams
New Jersey Devils
- New Jersey Devils team stats
- New Jersey Devils at Colorado Avalanche (Oct 28)
- New Jersey Devils 5, Dallas Stars 1 (Oct 27)
- Los Angeles Kings 1, New Jersey Devils 3 (Oct 24)
- Anaheim Ducks 1, New Jersey Devils 4 (Oct 22)
Washington Capitals
More NHL games on October 17, 2026
- Carolina Hurricanes 3, Winnipeg Jets 2 (Oct 17)
- Vancouver Canucks 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 4 (Oct 17)
- Seattle Kraken 3, Florida Panthers 8 (Oct 17)
- Dallas Stars 4, Chicago Blackhawks 0 (Oct 17)
- New York Rangers 0, Columbus Blue Jackets 1 (Oct 17)
- San Jose Sharks 3, Detroit Red Wings 4 (Oct 17)
- Buffalo Sabres 3, Montréal Canadiens 4 (Oct 17)
- Ottawa Senators 1, Philadelphia Flyers 3 (Oct 17)
- New York Islanders 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 1 (Oct 17)
- St Louis Blues 2, Nashville Predators 5 (Oct 17)
- Boston Bruins 4, Los Angeles Kings 1 (Oct 17)
- Edmonton Oilers 6, Utah Mammoth 2 (Oct 17)
- Pittsburgh Penguins 2, Vegas Golden Knights 6 (Oct 17)
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