The Washington Capitals and Calgary Flames will square off Friday night in a National Hockey League game between two teams trying to end their respective losing streaks. Both of these teams are on the outside of the playoffs in their respective conferences, and a win in a game like this would be incredibly important for the team that earns it. Before the puck drops in Calgary on Friday night, keep reading to find my Capitals vs Flames pick in the NHL.
Our Capitals vs Flames Pick
Pick: Calgary Flames Moneyline
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Washington Capitals vs Calgary Flames
- Date & Time: Friday, January 23, 2026, 9:00 PM ET
- Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form
The Capitals are struggling with four straight defeats, most recently falling 4-3 to the Vancouver Canucks. Their offensive play has lacked consistency, with the Caps failing to score more than three goals in any of their four straight defeats. Meanwhile, the Flames are also inconsistent of late. Calgary suffered a 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, which was their second loss in a row. They will try to bounce back on home ice at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Goaltending
Washington’s goaltending has been solid this season, with starter Logan Thompson entering this game with a 2.43 GAA. Thompson has been a key piece, but has struggled over the course of Washington’s current losing streak. Calgary’s Dustin Wolf has a losing record this season and he has a GAA of 3.01 for the season. He will need to be better than that to outperform Thompson in net in this matchup.
Key skaters
On offense, the Capitals are led by Tom Wilson, who has around 43 points on the season with solid goal and assist totals. Washington’s offense includes contributions from several forwards but recent droughts have hampered their scoring output. Calgary’s top offensive contributors include Nazem Kadri and Matt Coronato, though neither has dominated the league’s scoring charts. The Flames’ lineup was recently altered by the trade of Rasmus Andersson, potentially impacting their defensive stability as well.
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first of two regular-season games between the Flames and Capitals this season.
- The over is 28-22 in games involving the Flames so far this season.
- Washington is 25-26 in the over/under market for the season, slightly favoring the under in their games.
Capitals vs Flames Model Projection
Score Projection: Capitals 2 – Flames 3
Win Probability: Capitals 48%, Flames 52%
Final Thoughts
This should be a tight game out west, but I give a slight edge to the Calgary Flames on home ice. Calgary has earned at least a point in two-thirds of its home games this year, and the Flames are in a decent position to get another win here against a Capitals team that is struggling on both ends of the ice lately.
