The Washington Capitals had one of their worst performances of the season, especially given the time of year and their rapidly dropping playoff odds, losing to the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on Tuesday. Now the team heads into Detroit for the final stop of their six-game road trip in what Tom Wilson is labeling “the biggest game of the year.”
The Capitals will be without Matt Roy and Logan Thompson for tonight’s game due to injury. Clay Stevenson was called up from AHL Hershey in the morning.
Detroit has already beaten the Capitals twice in two meetings this year and are sitting pretty in the standings, second in the Atlantic Division. John Gibson will start in net and oppose the Capitals’ Charlie Lindgren.
Puck drop for today’s game is scheduled for a little after 7:30 pm. Today’s game is streaming on ESPN+.
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Lines
Washington Capitals
Beauvillier
Strome
Ovechkin
Detroit Red Wings
Soderblom
Rasmussen
Appleton
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped.
Buccigross’s play-by-play of screaming like a fan is gonna take some getting used to after getting top notch work from Joe B all season long.
John Carlson takes a delay of game penalty 1:06 in. Red Wings immediately to the power play. Bad start.
Alex DeBrincat scores his 29th of the season 53 seconds into the power play after a great set-up feed by Patrick Kane, making him the US’s all-time points leader.
Spencer Carbery is challenging the play for being offside.
Officials agree. No goal.
Red Wings have 1:07 remaining on the power play.
Alex Ovechkin with two big hits after the Capitals kill the penalty. Vintage Ovi.
McMichael and Dowd scrumming it up near Gibson after he freezes the puck.
Nic Dowd with two huge hits on Chariot.
WHOA, then he scores! What a shift.
🚨
1-0 Washington Capitals
Goal: Nic Dowd (3). Assists: C. McMichael (23), J. Chychrun (21). Time: 6:27
Just noting here: my telecast on ESPN+ is slightly ahead os Buccigross yelled “SCORES” like a half second before it happened. Anyone else having that issue?
John Carlson gives up a big chance in front of Lindgren, he doesn’t look “in it” yet in this game.
Raymond sets up Larkin wide open down the right wing, but he misses the puck with his stick.
Alex Ovechkin with a huge one-timer from the top of the left circle which is stopped by Gibson.
Tonight you get some analysis from my son!
My son Ethan on the Capitals’ play early tonight against the Red Wings: “These guys look real tired. Why don’t they get new players? They look really clumsy and they’re making pretty bad passes.”
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) January 30, 2026
TVR turnover, then TVR penalty. Carbery appears steaming at the bench. The tripping penalty comes at 17:58.
Wilson shot block.
Buccigross sounds disapointed every time the Capitals clear the puck on the power play. He really wants Kane to get the record lmao.
At intermission: The Capitals lead 1-0. They lead in shots 7 to 3. The Caps really muddied the waters in the first period. They don’t look particularly good, but we’ll see what they can do moving forward here. A lead is a start!
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Wilson goes hard into the boards. He’s slow getting up. He wanted a penalty.
JT Compher powers past Justin Sourdif and draws a penalty on Charlie Lindgren as he goes one-on-one down the left wing at 4:45. Red Wings go to their third power play.
Red Wings getting good looks but the Capitals are holding on here. The Capitals are up to 9 blocked shots at this point.
Caps kill the penalty.
The Red Wings are just hanging out in the Capitals zone now. Feels like they’re gonna score soon at this point.
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