Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: ESPN+, SportsNet Pittsburgh (Penguins), Chicago Sports Network (Blackhawks)
This is the first meeting of the 2026-27 season. The Penguins enter after a 2-1 shootout win over Dallas and sit third in the Metropolitan Division. The Blackhawks are struggling early (1-5-0) and rank near the bottom of the Central Division, still waiting for key contributors to return to full strength.
Injury Reports
Pittsburgh Penguins:
Andrei Kuzmenko (LW, personal): Non-roster/IR; away from the team and not expected for this game (possible return later in the road trip).
Justin Brazeau (RW, lower body): On IR; expected out until around October 22.
Ryan Graves (D, knee/lower body): On IR; out indefinitely (expected mid-to-late October at earliest).
Trevor van Riemsdyk (D, lower body): Day-to-day; missed the previous game and status uncertain.
Bryan Rust (RW, upper body): Day-to-day / game-time decision in recent reports.
Core veterans Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang are available.
Chicago Blackhawks:
Connor Bedard (C, shoulder): On IR/non-roster after missing training camp and the first six games; recent reports indicate he has progressed (full participant in practice) and is a game-time decision or possible return candidate for this matchup.
Andrew Mangiapane (LW, lower body): On IR.
Ryan Ellis (D, back): Out for the season.
Frank Nazar (C): Serving a suspension (expected back around October 15).
Spencer Knight is the projected starter in net.
Current/Projected Rosters and Lineups
Pittsburgh Penguins:
Forwards: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust (status TBD), Tommy Novak, Egor Chinakhov, Nick Robertson, Hendrix Lapierre, Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen, Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, Elmer Soderblom.
Defense: Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Samuel Girard, Declan Carlile, Kaedan Korczak, Trevor van Riemsdyk (status TBD), Spencer Stastney.
Goalies: Arturs Silovs (projected starter), Sergei Murashov.
Projected lines (based on recent games):
Rakell – Crosby – Rust
Chinakhov – Novak – Malkin
Lapierre/Koivunen – Kindel – depth
Dewar – Lizotte – Robertson.
Defense often pairs Carlile–Karlsson, Girard–Korczak, van Riemsdyk/Letang.
Chicago Blackhawks:
Forwards: Patrick Kane, Tyler Bertuzzi, Anton Frondell, Ryan Donato, Oliver Moore, Roman Kantserov, Nick Lardis, Cole Smith, Jordan Greenway, Teuvo Teräväinen (recently available), Ryan Greene, Dominic Toninato.
Defense: Bowen Byram, Artyom Levshunov, Alex Vlasic, Ian Cole, Wyatt Kaiser, Sam Rinzel, Kevin Korchinski.
Goalies: Spencer Knight (projected starter), Arvid Söderblom.
Projected lines (recent usage, adjusted for absences):
Lardis/Greene – various – Kane
Bertuzzi – Frondell – Kantserov
Smith – Moore – Greenway
Donato – Toninato – Teräväinen depth.
Defense: Byram–Levshunov, Vlasic–Cole, Kaiser–Rinzel.
Recent Team Forms
Penguins (3-2-1): Mixed but competitive start. Recent results include a shootout win over Dallas (2-1), a shootout loss at Columbus, a regulation loss at Washington, and earlier wins. Offense has been led by Malkin and Novak (early point production), with Karlsson and Girard contributing from the blue line. They are 1-1-1 on the road. Special teams have shown flashes.
Blackhawks (1-5-0): Difficult start with just one win. Recent results include a 5-2 home loss to Carolina and earlier defeats. Scoring has been limited without Bedard (team has managed only a handful of goals overall). Kane and younger forwards like Frondell and Nazar (before suspension) have provided some offense, but defensive structure and goaltending consistency have been challenges. They are 1-1-0 at home.
Series History
First meeting of the 2026-27 season. Historically the series has been competitive, with the Penguins often holding an edge in recent regular-season matchups thanks to their veteran core. Chicago has shown flashes of competitiveness at home against Eastern Conference teams, but the early-season gap in form and roster availability currently favors Pittsburgh.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Sidney Crosby / Evgeni Malkin / Rickard Rakell vs. Blackhawks defense (Byram, Levshunov, Vlasic): Pittsburgh’s Hall of Fame-caliber centers will look to exploit Chicago’s young or reconfigured blue line.
Patrick Kane / Tyler Bertuzzi / Anton Frondell vs. Penguins pairs (Karlsson, Letang, Girard): Kane’s playmaking against Pittsburgh’s experienced but aging defense will be a focal point, especially if Bedard is limited or out.
Goaltending: Arturs Silovs vs. Spencer Knight: Both have split time early; Silovs has the edge in recent form for Pittsburgh, while Knight shoulders a heavier load for a struggling Chicago squad.
Secondary: Young talent (Kindel, Chinakhov, Frondell, Lardis) and special teams. Pittsburgh’s power play has been more effective early; Chicago needs secondary scoring while missing Bedard and dealing with the Nazar suspension.
Betting Trends
Penguins have been more consistent and are coming off a win. Blackhawks have struggled to score and are missing high-end talent. Road favorites against rebuilding or injury-hit teams often provide value, though home ice and any Bedard return could tighten the line.
The Penguins’ veteran core and relative stability give them the edge on the road against a Blackhawks team still searching for consistency and waiting on key pieces. Expect a competitive but Pittsburgh-favored contest at the United Center.
Game Odds
Pittsburgh Penguins – 141
Chicago Blackhawks 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, October 12, 2026
