Venue & Broadcast
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Broadcast: TNT (U.S.), HBO Max (streaming), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Boston radio), Capitals 24/7 (Washington radio)
Recent Form
Washington: Finished atop the Metro, eliminated in the 2nd round by Carolina. Enter 2025–26 with continuity and momentum.
Boston: Missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years. New head coach Marco Sturm is emphasizing defensive structure and youth integration.
Injury Report
Boston Bruins: None reported.
Washington Capitals:
D Dylan McIlrath – Injured Reserve
D Declan Chisholm – Day-to-day
(Both teams otherwise enter the opener relatively healthy.)
Starting Goalies
Boston Bruins: Jeremy Swayman (2024–25: 21–23–6, 3.01 GAA, .902 SV%)
Washington Capitals: Logan Thompson (2024–25: 29–12–5, 2.48 GAA, .918 SV%)
Key Player Matchups
David Pastrnak (BOS, 106 pts in 2024–25) vs. Alex Ovechkin (WSH, 73 pts, chasing 900 career goals)
Elite scorers at different stages of their careers; Pastrnak is Boston’s engine, Ovechkin remains Washington’s heartbeat.
Morgan Geekie (BOS, 33 goals) vs. Dylan Strome (WSH, 82 pts)
Secondary scoring battle; Geekie’s breakout vs. Strome’s steady playmaking.
Charlie McAvoy (BOS, 24:15 TOI avg) vs. John Carlson (WSH, 70 pts from the blue line)
Two cornerstone defensemen tasked with shutting down elite forwards.
Series History
2024–25 Season Series: Capitals won 2 of 3 meetings.
All-Time: Bruins lead 177–133–21–10.
Recent Trend: Washington has won 5 of the last 7 meetings at Capital One Arena.
Betting Trends
Washington went 30–10–7 at home last season.
Boston went 13–25–3 on the road.
Washington averaged 3.5 goals/game, Boston 2.7 goals/game.
The Over hit in 6 of the last 9 head-to-head matchups.
Game Odds
Boston Bruins 5.5
Washington Capitals – 185
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, October 7, 2025
