The Winnipeg Jets host the Washington Capitals in the evening portion of tonight's NHL slate. Winnipeg forward Gabriel Vilardi enters this contest in good form, and my Capitals vs. Jets predictions expect this trend to continue. Read on for my NHL picks for Saturday, December 13.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Winnipeg Jets vs. Washington Capitals NHL game from December 13, 2025 on ESPN.

The Washington Capitals were not able to land Quinn Hughes, but they still have options to keep improving the team.

While Washington was able to pick up the pace in the second, an unlucky bounce off Justin Sourdif's stick put the Jets up 3-0, and from there, D.C. couldn't recover, going down 5-0 into the final minutes of regulation. It was a difficult situation for Logan Thompson, who stopped 30 of 35 shots but wasn't given much help at either end of the ice.

Only one team, the juggernaut Avalanche, is allowing fewer goals per game, and only two clubs, Colorado and Carolina, boast a better expected goals rate at 5-on-5. Washington is also third in shot attempt rate, meaning the Caps are dominating possession at even strength for the most part.

Brandon Bussi stopped all three shots in a shootout to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals in a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Washington Capitals may have lost to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, but Alex Ovechkin achieved a rare NHL milestone.

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.

Brandon Bussi stopped all three Washington attempts in a shootout to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Capitals.