Matchup comparison
Recent form: Washington Capitals, 4-1 in the last 5 games against 3-2 for Minnesota Wild.
Matchup to watch: Minnesota Wild’s attack (index 100) against Washington Capitals’ defence (index 99).
Matchup to watch: Washington Capitals’ attack (index 113) against Minnesota Wild’s defence (index 71).
Recent form: last 5
Minnesota Wild: 3 wins and 2 losses in the last 5, with 16 goals scored and 10 conceded.
| Oct 28, 2026 | at Utah Mammoth | W | 3–1 |
| Oct 26, 2026 | at Vancouver Canucks | W | 4–2 |
| Oct 25, 2026 | at Seattle Kraken | W | 5–1 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | at Calgary Flames | L | 1–2 |
| Oct 21, 2026 | at Edmonton Oilers | L | 3–4 |
Washington Capitals: 4 wins and 1 loss in the last 5, with 20 goals scored and 16 conceded.
| Oct 28, 2026 | vs Philadelphia Flyers | W | 5–2 |
| Oct 24, 2026 | vs Buffalo Sabres | W | 4–3 |
| Oct 20, 2026 | vs Los Angeles Kings | L | 2–5 |
| Oct 17, 2026 | vs New Jersey Devils | W | 4–2 |
| Oct 14, 2026 | vs Montreal Canadiens | W | 5–4 |
Results before kickoff, newest first.
Head-to-head
In the last 2 meetings on record, Minnesota Wild won 1, Washington Capitals won 1.
| Dec 17, 2025 · last season | Minnesota Wild | 5–0 | Washington Capitals |
| Oct 17, 2025 · last season | Washington Capitals | 5–1 | Minnesota Wild |
Season so far
Minnesota Wild are 4th of 32 on win rate after 14 games (9-5).
Washington Capitals are 7th of 32 on win rate after 11 games (7-4).
| # | Team | P | W | L | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Minnesota Wild | 14 | 9 | 5 | 44:31 |
| 7 | Washington Capitals | 11 | 7 | 4 | 39:34 |
Team season model
- Minnesota Wild attack index 100: scoring level with the league average per game.
- Minnesota Wild defence index 71: 29% less conceded per game than the league average.
- Minnesota Wild rate 3rd of 32 on results-based strength, steady over their last 5 games.
- Washington Capitals attack index 113: 13% more scoring per game than the league average.
- Washington Capitals defence index 99: 1% less conceded per game than the league average.
- Washington Capitals rate 10th of 32 on results-based strength, steady over their last 5 games.
Index 100 is the league average per game. Above 100 in attack means more scoring; below 100 in defence means fewer conceded.
Team news
Minnesota Wild
- Brock Faber (D): Injured Reserve, skull. Faber (skull) has cleared his return to play protocol and could resume skating within a few days, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. (ESPN, Oct 29, 2026)
- Jared Spurgeon (D): Out, undisclosed. (ESPN, Oct 29, 2026)
- Filip Gustavsson (G): Injured Reserve, hip. Head coach John Hynes said Sunday that Gustavsson (hip) is slated to miss at least another month, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports. (ESPN, Oct 18, 2026)
Washington Capitals
- Vincent Desharnais (D): Injured Reserve, abdomen. (ESPN, Oct 23, 2026)
- Capitals visit the Predators after Tuch's 2-goal game — Washington Capitals (7-4, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Nashville Predators (4-3-5, in the Central Division)Nashville, Tennessee; Thursday, 8 p. (Yahoo Sports, Oct 29, 2026)
Headlines gathered October 29, 2026 from the outlets named. Third-party reporting, not verified by SportAnalyst.
What the full preview covers
- Key factors: the matchups and numbers that shape this game.
- Player form: recent output from the players who matter most.
- Team news: injuries and availability from the latest reports.
- Analyst chat: ask follow-up questions about this game (All-Access).
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