Colorado Avalanche at Washington Capitals
NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Washington Capitals on Mar 22, 2026. Final score: Colorado Avalanche 3, Washington Capitals 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 22, 2026 |
| Venue | Capital One Arena |
| Colorado Avalanche score | 3 |
| Washington Capitals score | 2 |
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 | Justin Sourdif | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 17:22 | 0.24 | 1.53 |
| 2nd | Martin Necas | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 23:36 | 0.35 | 1.47 |
| 3rd | Connor McMichael | L | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:03 | 0.24 | 1.03 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Colorado Avalanche–Washington Capitals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 11:53 | WSH | Justin Sourdif | Connor McMichael, Matt Roy | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 3rd 01:05 | COL | Gabriel Landeskog | Martin Necas | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 06:03 | COL | Nicolas Roy | Zakhar Bardakov | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 14:17 | WSH | Alex Ovechkin | Dylan Strome, Cole Hutson | 5v4 | 2–2 |
| OT 01:22 | COL | Brock Nelson | Martin Necas, Devon Toews | 3v3 | 3–2 |
Team Comparison
| Colorado Avalanche | Washington Capitals | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 24 | 22 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.59 | 2.68 |
| High-danger shots | 11 | 6 |
| Corsi % | 56.7% | 43.3% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 1/5 |
| Faceoff % | 59.6% | 40.4% |
| Hits | 15 | 18 |
| Blocks | 5 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 2 |
Colorado Avalanche Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Necas | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 23:36 | 0.35 | 1.47 |
| Devon Toews | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:45 | 0.01 | 0.94 |
| Zakhar Bardakov | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4:28 | 0.01 | 0.88 |
| Gabriel Landeskog | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17:21 | 0.30 | 0.76 |
| Nicolas Roy | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8:40 | 0.16 | 0.69 |
| Brock Nelson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:13 | 0.65 | 0.69 |
| Sam Malinski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:24 | 0.02 | 0.31 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:50 | 0.23 | 0.29 |
| Cale Makar | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25:06 | 0.14 | 0.24 |
| Gavin Brindley | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4:57 | 0.07 | 0.18 |
| Joel Kiviranta | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:14 | 0.00 | 0.16 |
| Nazem Kadri | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:48 | 0.26 | -0.01 |
| Jack Drury | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:39 | 0.02 | -0.05 |
| Parker Kelly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:52 | 0.17 | -0.09 |
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:31 | 0.01 | -0.21 |
| Valeri Nichushkin | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:47 | 0.00 | -0.49 |
| Josh Manson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:16 | 0.10 | -0.59 |
| Brent Burns | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:29 | 0.11 | -0.74 |
Washington Capitals Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Sourdif | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17:22 | 0.24 | 1.53 |
| Connor McMichael | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:03 | 0.24 | 1.03 |
| Jakob Chychrun | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:30 | 0.09 | 0.64 |
| Ryan Leonard | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:05 | 0.29 | 0.57 |
| Martin Fehérváry | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:34 | 0.05 | 0.55 |
| Dylan Strome | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:31 | 0.12 | 0.52 |
| Alex Ovechkin | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 18:45 | 0.14 | 0.51 |
| Aliaksei Protas | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:37 | 0.41 | 0.41 |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:57 | 0.00 | 0.40 |
| Rasmus Sandin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:10 | 0.03 | 0.31 |
| Tom Wilson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:46 | 0.42 | 0.15 |
| Brandon Duhaime | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:09 | 0.01 | 0.14 |
| Matt Roy | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:50 | 0.00 | 0.13 |
| Ethen Frank | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:22 | 0.18 | 0.10 |
| Cole Hutson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17:55 | 0.00 | 0.03 |
| Anthony Beauvillier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:53 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:10 | 0.40 | -0.08 |
| Hendrix Lapierre | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5:44 | 0.00 | -0.25 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackenzie Blackwood | Colorado Avalanche | 20 | 22 | 90.9% | 0.61 | W |
| Logan Thompson | Washington Capitals | 21 | 24 | 87.5% | -0.41 | O |
Analysis
The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Washington Capitals 3–2 on Mar 22, 2026, a one-goal game.
Washington Capitals generated 2.68 expected goals to Colorado Avalanche's 2.59 — Washington Capitals owned the better of the chances but Colorado Avalanche took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Justin Sourdif led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.53 on 1 goal, 2 shots on goal.
Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 20 of 22, worth 0.61 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Colorado Avalanche vs Washington Capitals game?
The Colorado Avalanche beat the Washington Capitals 3–2 on Mar 22, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Colorado Avalanche 3, Washington Capitals 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Justin Sourdif led all skaters at 1.53, on 1G, 0A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Washington Capitals generated 2.68 expected goals and Colorado Avalanche generated 2.59, so Washington Capitals created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Colorado Avalanche put 24 shots on goal and Washington Capitals put 22. High-danger chances went 11 to 6.
How did the goaltenders play?
Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 20 of 22 (0.61 goals saved above expected); Logan Thompson stopped 21 of 24 (-0.41 goals saved above expected).