Top 8 Must-See Capitals Games in 2025-26

The Washington Capitals are now aware of the journey they must undertake to defend their status as the best team in the Eastern Conference. Washington roared to an 8-2-0 start in their first 10 games of the 2024-25 season, which helped set the tone for the rest of the campaign. The Capitals finished with a 51-22-9 record and 111 points. With Alex Ovechkin now installed as the NHL’s all-time regular-season scoring leader, the 2025-26 season is shaping up to be a must-follow campaign in Washington. Here are eight must-see games from the recently released 2025-26 schedule. 

Boston Bruins – Capitals One Arena – 10/08/25

The Capitals start their 51st season in the NHL with a home game against the Boston Bruins, an Original Six franchise. Washington was 2-1-0 against Boston last season, including a 3-1 win on home ice on New Year’s Eve 2024. 

Boston added James Hagens with the seventh-overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, but the center could return to the NCAA for another shot at a college championship. With Jeremy Swayman in the net, Charley McAvoy on defense, and David Pastrnak leading the offense, the Bruins should still pose a stiff challenge this season despite their 33-39-10 record in 2024-25. 

New York Islanders – UBS Arena – 10/11/25 & New York Rangers – Madison Square Garden – 10/12/25

Three nights later, the Capitals embark on their first road trip with a visit to New York and the team’s first back-to-back of the season. First up is a visit to UBS Arena on Long Island for a meeting with the New York Islanders. The next night, Washington visits Midtown Manhattan to play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. 

Despite a 35-35-12 record, the Islanders vaulted up the draft board thanks to the NHL Draft Lottery selection process, chose Matthew Schaefer first overall at the 2025 NHL Draft, and traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for winger Emil Heineman and two first-round picks in the 2025 draft. Those picks were used to select winger Victor Eklund at 16th overall and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson 17th overall. 

The Rangers entered the 2024-25 season with extremely high expectations, but finished with a 39-36-7 record and were out of the playoff picture. Chris Kreider was traded to Anaheim in June, while K’Andre Miller was sent south to the Carolina Hurricanes on July 1. Vladislav Gavrikov, a 6-foot-3 defenseman, was the big-ticket player the Rangers brought via in free agency. 

The Capitals were 2-1-0 against the Islanders in 2024-25, with the only loss being the game in which Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky with his 895th career regular-season goal on April 6, 2025. Washington totaled 15 goals in three games against the Rangers in 2024-25 on the way to a 3-0 record in 2024-25. 

Carolina Hurricanes – Lenovo Center – 11/15/25

Neither team will quickly forget the feisty, five-game series last spring. With the addition of Nikolaj Ehlers and Miller, Carolina became a more dangerous offensive squad this summer, but otherwise, both clubs feature familiar-looking rosters entering the 2025-26 season. There could be some early fireworks in Raleigh, North Carolina, in November.

While it seems to matter a bit less after a playoff series, Washington and Carolina split the season series, 2-2-0, during the 2024-25 season. 

Montreal Canadiens – Bell Centre – 11/20/25

In contrast to the second-round exit to Carolina, the five-game Round 1 series victory over the Montreal Canadiens filled Capitals fans with hope. Tom Wilson was everywhere in the series, including becoming a viral meme for taunting the Canadiens in Game 3, and could have a target on his back this fall.