Washington Capitals at Chicago Blackhawks
NHL game between the Washington Capitals and the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan 09, 2026. Final score: Washington Capitals 5, Chicago Blackhawks 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 09, 2026 |
| Venue | United Center |
| Washington Capitals score | 5 |
| Chicago Blackhawks score | 1 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Connor McMichael | C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 14:49 | 0.41 | 1.39 |
| 2nd | John Carlson | D | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19:43 | 0.01 | 1.38 |
| 3rd | Ryan Leonard | R | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13:17 | 0.19 | 1.28 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Washington Capitals–Chicago Blackhawks) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 04:03 | WSH | Anthony Beauvillier | Martin Fehérváry, John Carlson | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 15:07 | WSH | Connor McMichael | Ryan Leonard | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 1st 18:54 | WSH | Ethen Frank | John Carlson, Nic Dowd | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 2nd 08:48 | CHI | Oliver Moore | Matt Grzelcyk, Nick Lardis | 5v4 | 3–1 |
| 2nd 12:38 | WSH | Justin Sourdif | Connor McMichael, Ryan Leonard | 5v5 | 4–1 |
| 3rd 13:33 | WSH | Alex Ovechkin | Martin Fehérváry | 5v5 | 5–1 |
Team Comparison
| Washington Capitals | Chicago Blackhawks | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 24 | 24 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.12 | 2.87 |
| High-danger shots | 8 | 12 |
| Corsi % | 46.2% | 53.8% |
| Power play | 0/3 | 1/4 |
| Faceoff % | 46.1% | 53.9% |
| Hits | 13 | 23 |
| Blocks | 9 | 6 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 19 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 5 |
Washington Capitals Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor McMichael | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14:49 | 0.41 | 1.39 |
| John Carlson | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 19:43 | 0.01 | 1.38 |
| Ryan Leonard | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 13:17 | 0.19 | 1.28 |
| Martin Fehérváry | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 17:59 | 0.04 | 1.23 |
| Alex Ovechkin | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 14:43 | 0.26 | 0.95 |
| Anthony Beauvillier | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17:54 | 0.23 | 0.80 |
| Ethen Frank | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16:47 | 0.09 | 0.75 |
| Nic Dowd | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:18 | 0.08 | 0.59 |
| Justin Sourdif | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:31 | 0.20 | 0.45 |
| Brandon Duhaime | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:48 | 0.09 | 0.15 |
| Jakob Chychrun | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:05 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| Brett Leason | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:49 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Rasmus Sandin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:28 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Dylan Strome | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:12 | 0.06 | 0.00 |
| Declan Chisholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:43 | 0.03 | 0.00 |
| Hendrix Lapierre | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:45 | 0.08 | -0.05 |
| Matt Roy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:00 | 0.05 | -0.05 |
| Aliaksei Protas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:12 | 0.05 | -0.10 |
Chicago Blackhawks Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Moore | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:10 | 0.14 | 0.70 |
| Matt Grzelcyk | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:15 | 0.00 | 0.59 |
| Nick Lardis | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12:01 | 0.33 | 0.49 |
| Nick Foligno | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:53 | 0.19 | 0.25 |
| Artyom Levshunov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:42 | 0.07 | 0.20 |
| Connor Murphy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:10 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Colton Dach | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:46 | 0.11 | 0.10 |
| Landon Slaggert | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:56 | 0.16 | 0.10 |
| Kevin Korchinski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:53 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Jason Dickinson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:17 | 0.11 | 0.05 |
| Tyler Bertuzzi | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15:49 | 1.08 | 0.05 |
| Teuvo Teravainen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:50 | 0.05 | 0.00 |
| Connor Bedard | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17:07 | 0.17 | 0.00 |
| Andre Burakovsky | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:53 | 0.11 | -0.05 |
| Ryan Donato | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:52 | 0.17 | -0.05 |
| Alex Vlasic | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:47 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Wyatt Kaiser | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:22 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Ryan Greene | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:52 | 0.05 | -0.20 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Thompson | Washington Capitals | 23 | 24 | 95.8% | -0.54 | W |
| Drew Commesso | Chicago Blackhawks | 19 | 24 | 79.2% | -1.55 | L |
Analysis
The Washington Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5–1 on Jan 09, 2026, a decisive 4-goal win.
Chicago Blackhawks generated 2.87 expected goals to Washington Capitals's 2.12 — Chicago Blackhawks owned the better of the chances but Washington Capitals took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Connor McMichael led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.39 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Logan Thompson stopped 23 of 24, worth -0.54 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Washington Capitals vs Chicago Blackhawks game?
The Washington Capitals beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5–1 on Jan 09, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Washington Capitals 5, Chicago Blackhawks 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Connor McMichael led all skaters at 1.39, on 1G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Chicago Blackhawks generated 2.87 expected goals and Washington Capitals generated 2.12, so Chicago Blackhawks created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Washington Capitals put 24 shots on goal and Chicago Blackhawks put 24. High-danger chances went 8 to 12.
How did the goaltenders play?
Logan Thompson stopped 23 of 24 (-0.54 goals saved above expected); Drew Commesso stopped 19 of 24 (-1.55 goals saved above expected).