Washington Capitals at Nashville Predators
NHL game between the Washington Capitals and the Nashville Predators on Jan 12, 2026. Final score: Washington Capitals 2, Nashville Predators 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 12, 2026 |
| Venue | Bridgestone Arena |
| Washington Capitals score | 2 |
| Nashville Predators score | 3 |
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 | Roman Josi | D | 1 | 2 | 2 | 21:53 | 0.17 | 1.88 |
| 2nd | Steven Stamkos | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:52 | 0.13 | 1.59 |
| 3rd | Alex Ovechkin | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:26 | 0.09 | 1.24 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Washington Capitals–Nashville Predators) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 05:56 | WSH | Alex Ovechkin | John Carlson, Ryan Leonard | 3v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 13:15 | NSH | Steven Stamkos | Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi | 5v4 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 01:12 | NSH | Cole Smith | Roman Josi, Reid Schaefer | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 03:29 | NSH | Roman Josi | Steven Stamkos, Ryan O'Reilly | 5v3 | 1–3 |
| 3rd 09:03 | WSH | Ethen Frank | Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome | 4v5 | 2–3 |
Team Comparison
| Washington Capitals | Nashville Predators | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 32 | 21 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.00 | 2.28 |
| High-danger shots | 14 | 7 |
| Corsi % | 59.6% | 40.4% |
| Power play | 2/5 | 2/6 |
| Faceoff % | 54.5% | 45.5% |
| Hits | 21 | 16 |
| Blocks | 5 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 2 |
Washington Capitals Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Ovechkin | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 19:26 | 0.09 | 1.24 |
| Ethen Frank | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 18:06 | 1.02 | 0.80 |
| Ryan Leonard | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:18 | 0.03 | 0.69 |
| Dylan Strome | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:53 | 0.14 | 0.69 |
| John Carlson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 26:43 | 0.13 | 0.54 |
| Nic Dowd | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:16 | 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Declan Chisholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:11 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Brett Leason | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:30 | 0.02 | 0.10 |
| Justin Sourdif | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6:17 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Martin Fehérváry | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:20 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Matt Roy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:31 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| Connor McMichael | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:38 | 0.17 | 0.00 |
| Rasmus Sandin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:20 | 0.11 | 0.00 |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:35 | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Hendrix Lapierre | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5:23 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Anthony Beauvillier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19:23 | 0.44 | -0.10 |
| Brandon Duhaime | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5:46 | 0.00 | -0.15 |
| Aliaksei Protas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:26 | 0.18 | -0.25 |
Nashville Predators Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Josi | D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 21:53 | 0.17 | 1.88 |
| Steven Stamkos | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 19:52 | 0.13 | 1.59 |
| Cole Smith | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16:16 | 0.15 | 0.95 |
| Reid Schaefer | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11:17 | 0.04 | 0.69 |
| Ryan O'Reilly | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21:15 | 0.14 | 0.59 |
| Filip Forsberg | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18:16 | 0.06 | 0.44 |
| Fedor Svechkov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:57 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Tyson Jost | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:42 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Nick Blankenburg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:43 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| Michael Bunting | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:40 | 0.22 | 0.05 |
| Luke Evangelista | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:49 | 0.31 | 0.00 |
| Brady Skjei | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:45 | 0.06 | 0.00 |
| Nicolas Hague | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:08 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Michael McCarron | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:57 | 0.34 | -0.05 |
| Adam Wilsby | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:20 | 0.04 | -0.05 |
| Matthew Wood | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:21 | 0.25 | -0.05 |
| Erik Haula | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:45 | 0.01 | -0.15 |
| Nick Perbix | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:38 | 0.01 | -0.20 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Lindgren | Washington Capitals | 18 | 21 | 85.7% | 0.40 | L |
| Justus Annunen | Nashville Predators | 30 | 32 | 93.8% | 2.06 | W |
Analysis
The Nashville Predators defeated the Washington Capitals 3–2 on Jan 12, 2026, a one-goal game.
Nashville Predators generated 2.28 expected goals to Washington Capitals's 4.0 — Washington Capitals owned the better of the chances but Nashville Predators took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Roman Josi led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.88 on 1 goal, 2 assists, 2 shots on goal.
Justus Annunen stopped 30 of 32, worth 2.06 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Washington Capitals vs Nashville Predators game?
The Nashville Predators beat the Washington Capitals 3–2 on Jan 12, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Nashville Predators 3, Washington Capitals 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Roman Josi led all skaters at 1.88, on 1G, 2A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Nashville Predators generated 2.28 expected goals and Washington Capitals generated 4.0, so Washington Capitals created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Washington Capitals put 32 shots on goal and Nashville Predators put 21. High-danger chances went 14 to 7.
How did the goaltenders play?
Charlie Lindgren stopped 18 of 21 (0.4 goals saved above expected); Justus Annunen stopped 30 of 32 (2.06 goals saved above expected).