The San Jose Sharks (23-19-3, 49 points, 4th in Pacific Division) take on the Washington Capitals (24-17-6, 54 points, 3rd in Metropolitan Division) in an interconference clash. The Sharks are coming off a tough loss but have shown resilience in recent wins, while the Capitals are looking to build on a narrow victory and solidify their playoff spot before the Olympic break.
Venue Location
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. (Capacity: 18,277).
Puckdrop is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST (Broadcast: ESPN+, MNMT, NBCSCA).
Injury Report
Injuries are impacting both teams’ depth, particularly in forward groups and defense.
San Jose Sharks:
C Will Smith (upper body): Day-to-day; practiced with contact but not ready for return. Expected back soon, possibly for this game or shortly after.
D Vincent Desharnais (upper body): Out; on IR but traveling with team.
D Shakir Mukhamadullin (upper body): Out; on IR but traveling with team.
C Philipp Kurashev (upper body): Out until at least Jan. 20; not traveling initially but could join later.
C Ty Dellandrea (lower body): Out until at least Feb. 4.
D John Klingberg (lower body): Out.
G Carey Price (knee): Out for the season.
C Logan Couture (groin): Out for the season.
Washington Capitals:
LW Pierre-Luc Dubois (abdomen): Out; on IR, started skating but no return timeline.
RW Tom Wilson (lower body): Day-to-day; missed recent games but getting closer to return, remains in non-contact jersey.
RW Justin Sourdif (upper body): Day-to-day; out after being hit by puck.
D Jakob Chychrun (illness): Day-to-day; missed recent game, game-time decision.
LW Eriks Mateiko (Achilles): Out for the season.
Key
Player Matchups to Watch
This matchup highlights offensive firepower against defensive structure, with goaltending potentially deciding the outcome.
C Macklin Celebrini (SJS) vs. C Dylan Strome (WSH): Celebrini leads SJS with 24 goals and 70 points (~1.56 PPG), a dynamic rookie playmaker. Strome (10G, 25A, 35P) anchors WSH’s center depth with strong faceoff wins (58.7%) and even-strength production.
LW Alex Ovechkin (WSH) vs. D Mario Ferraro (SJS): Ovechkin (20G, 127 SOG) remains a goal-scoring threat, chasing records. Ferraro (high blocks, hits) will aim to contain him on the rush.
D Jakob Chychrun (WSH) vs. RW Tyler Toffoli (SJS): Chychrun (15G, 32P, +26) is a two-way force if he plays. Toffoli (13G, 32P) brings scoring touch and could exploit gaps.
G Yaroslav Askarov (SJS) vs. G Logan Thompson (WSH): Askarov (recent starts) faces ~30 shots/game for SJS. Thompson (solid SV%) benefits from WSH’s defense.
Recent Team Forms
San Jose Sharks (6-4-0 in last 10 games, +2 goal differential):
The Sharks have won three straight before a blowout loss, averaging 3.7 goals/game in their last 10. Road form: 12-9-1. They’ve shown comeback ability but struggle against top defenses.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| Jan 11 | vs. VGK | L 2-7 |
| Jan 10 | vs. DAL | W 5-4 |
| Jan 7 | @ LAK | W 4-3 |
| Jan 6 | vs. CBJ | W 5-2 |
| Jan 3 | vs. TBL | L 3-7 |
| Jan 1 | vs. MIN | W 4-3 |
| Dec 31 | @ ANA | W 5-4 |
| Dec 29 | @ VAN | W 6-3 |
| Dec 27 | @ VGK | L 2-7 |
| Dec 23 | vs. SEA | L 2-4 |
Washington Capitals (5-4-1 in last 10 games, +5 goal differential):
The Capitals have alternated wins and losses, averaging 3.4 goals/game in their last 10. Home form: 13-8-3. They’ve rallied in third periods but face consistency issues with injuries.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| Jan 13 | vs. MTL | W 3-2 |
| Jan 11 | @ NSH | L 2-3 |
| Jan 9 | @ CHI | W 5-1 |
| Jan 7 | vs. DAL | L 1-4 |
| Jan 5 | vs. ANA | W 7-4 |
| Jan 3 | vs. CHI | L 2-3 (SO) |
| Jan 1 | @ OTT | L 3-4 |
| Dec 31 | vs. NYR | W 6-3 |
| Dec 29 | @ FLA | L 3-5 |
| Dec 27 | @ NJD | W 4-3 |
Series History
The Sharks hold a 32-20-1-1 all-time edge over the Capitals (60.2% win rate for SJS). In regular-season games, it’s 32-21-1-1 for SJS. However, Washington is 6-3-1 in the last 10 meetings. The Capitals won the most recent matchup 6-3 on Dec. 3, 2025. At Capital One Arena, WSH is 12-15-0-1 vs. SJS. Recent games average 6.4 goals, trending high-scoring.
Betting Trends
Moneyline: WSH is 12-6 as home favorites; SJS is 8-9 as road underdogs.
Puck Line (Spread): WSH covers 55% as favorites; SJS covers 60% as underdogs.
Total (Over/Under): Over has hit in 6 of SJS’s last 10 (avg. 6.8 goals/game) and 7 of WSH’s last 10 (avg. 6.5). Head-to-head leans over (5 of last 8 over 6.5).
Trends: Sharks are 6-4 in last 10 but 2-8 vs. Metropolitan teams. Capitals are 5-4-1 in last 10, 4-1 at home lately.
Game Odds
San Jose Sharks 6.5
Washington Capitals – 185
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, January 14, 2026
