Expert recap and game analysis of the Washington Capitals vs. Chicago Blackhawks NHL game from January 9, 2026 on ESPN.

The Washington Capitals have struck gold with the "MLS" line, and they recaptured that immediate spark once again in Chicago. The Connor McMichael-Justin Sourdif-Ryan Leonard combination stepped up again, and Alex Ovechkin stayed hot to power D.C. to a 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Anton Frondell, AJ Spellacy and Václav Nestrašil — who competed in the 2026 World Juniors. Here’s how each of them performed.

The Washington Capitals will try to turn things around on Friday night in the Windy City, as Alex Ovechkin and company get set to visit the Chicago Blackhawks.

Korchinski has spent all of this season down in the AHL with Rockford. In 32 games with the AHL club in 2025-26, he has recorded two goals, 17 assists, 19 points, and a minus-12 rating. This is after he had three goals, 24 assists, 27 points, and a minus-17 rating in 56 games for Rockford this past season.

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With plenty of veteran talent coming off the books this summer, trading for Ryan Ellis' contract is the next step in Kyle Davidson's plan.

The Capitals will have a key forward back in the mix on Friday against the Blackhawks with Aliaksei Protas ready to return.