Game #13: Capitals have a Sunday afternoon game in D.C.

Star Power vs. The Next Gen: Rolling Capitals Welcome Rocket-Paced Wild to D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — What a huge day for sports in the Nation’s Capital on Sunday. The playoff-bound Washington Spirit play on Sunday at 5:00 pm, the Washington Capitals start before them at 3:30 pm, and then on Sunday night on national TV, the Washington Commanders kickoff at 8:20 pm. Someone could literally get on the Metro at Gallery Place to see two periods of the Capitals then jump back on the Green Line to the Navy Yard to see the Spirit at Audi Field and watch the whole match, then jump back on the Metro to get to Landover to see the Commanders.

The Washington Capitals (8-4-0) are heading back to Capital One Arena on Sunday afternoon looking to stretch their three-game winning streak into something serious. Standing in their way is a heavyweight matinee matchup against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Wild (9-3-3).

Puck drop is set for Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at 3:30 PM EST. The game will showcase a fascinating subplot: Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov facing his childhood idol, Alex Ovechkin, in what could be one of their final shared moments on NHL ice.

Game Notes & Storylines

Red-Hot Newcomers Carrying the Caps

Washington’s recent surge—including a thrilling 4-3 road victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday—has been fueled by new blood.

Alex Tuch‘s Historic Start: Tuch scored the game-winner in Nashville for his 10th goal in just 12 games as a Capital. He is the second-fastest player in franchise history to reach double digits, trailing only Dino Ciccarelli‘s nine-game mark in 1988-89.
Cole Hutson’s Arrival: The young blueliner is coming off the first two-goal game of his NHL career and will look to stay hot on Sunday.

The Kaprizov Rocket Tracker

Minnesota enters Washington with a point in four of their last five games. They are led by Kaprizov, who has exploded out of the gate with 14 goals and 23 points in 14 games—putting him on a scorching 78-goal pace.
While Ovechkin has navigated a slower start to his 22nd and final NHL season, all eyes will be on how the legendary goal scorer responds to Kaprizov’s elite multi-week tear.

Battle of the Blue Paint

The game features a stellar projected matchup between the pipes:

Washington: Logan Thompson (5-3-0, 2.78 GAA) or Charlie Lindgren, who earned the win on Thursday with 25 saves.
Minnesota: Rising Swedish star Jesper Wallstedt (8-2-2, 2.14 GAA).

Tale of the Tape