Caps Face Flyers in Philly

Caps finish set of back-to-backs in Philly, facing Flyers for first of four times in '25-26

Published on Feb. 3, 2026

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The Washington Capitals will travel to Philadelphia to face the Flyers on Tuesday night, the first of four meetings between the two Metropolitan Division rivals this season. The Caps are coming off a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders on Monday, their third straight victory. With both of their regular goaltenders out with injuries, the Caps have turned to Clay Stevenson, who has won his first two NHL starts. The Flyers have struggled of late, going 4-8-3 in January, and currently sit five points behind the Caps in the Eastern Conference standings.

Why it matters

This game is an important divisional matchup as the Capitals look to solidify their position in the playoff race. The Flyers have been a tough opponent for the Caps in recent years, and this will be the first of four meetings between the two teams this season. The Capitals' ability to pick up points against divisional rivals will be crucial as they try to secure a postseason berth.

The details

The Capitals will be without their regular goaltenders Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren, so they will again turn to Clay Stevenson, who has won his first two NHL starts. The Flyers have struggled of late, going 4-8-3 in January, and currently sit five points behind the Caps in the Eastern Conference standings. The Capitals have been strong against divisional opponents this season, going 11-3-2 against Metro Division teams.

  • The Capitals and Flyers will meet four times in a span of 18 games, and across the next 57 days.
  • Monday night's win was the Caps' third in succession, the first time they've strung that many victories together since their season-high six-game winning streak was snapped in early December.

The players

Clay Stevenson

The Capitals' backup goaltender who has won his first two NHL starts while filling in for the injured starters.

Nic Dowd

The Capitals forward who is playing in his 500th game with the team and has two goals and an assist during the Caps' three-game winning streak.

Christian Dvorak

A Flyers forward who was acquired in a trade earlier this season and has helped the team remain in playoff contention.

Trevor Zegras

A young Flyers forward who has been a key part of the team's success this season.

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What they’re saying

“I'm more comfortable – I suppose – for sure. Any experience you can pull off of and draw off of gives me a sense of calmness in the net, I guess. I said it out there too; the coaches and the guys, they just played maybe how they were going to play tonight, and some of their tendencies and stuff like that. I felt pretty ready in that regard, so that felt nice.”

— Clay Stevenson, Capitals Goaltender (nhl.com)

“I just think when we commit to getting pucks in deep, and I know that's so cliché, but we have to our game comes below the tops of the circles in the [offensive] zone. And we have a lot of really highly skilled guys, but if we don't get there, those guys can't make those skilled plays. And we use our [defensemen] a ton, too. So we require our [defensemen] to make a lot of plays in the [offensive] zone, and they do, and that's what makes us successful.”

— Nic Dowd, Capitals Forward (nhl.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.