Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT)
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
TV: ABTV (Kings), CHSN (Blackhawks); available via ESPN+ in many markets
This Western Conference matchup features two teams near the bottom of the standings early in the 2026-27 season. The Kings close a five-game road trip looking to finish strong after a 6-3 win at the New York Rangers the previous night (second half of a back-to-back). The Blackhawks, on a three-game losing streak, host as they search for consistency.
Current Player Rosters & Projected Lineups
Los Angeles Kings (projected):
Forwards: Artemi Panarin – Alex Laferriere – Adrian Kempe; Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Joel Armia (or Taylor Ward in some projections); Erik Haula – Scott Laughton – Taylor Ward/Joel Armia; Andre Lee – Samuel Helenius – Corey Perry.
Defense: Erik Gustafsson – Brandt Clarke; Joel Edmundson – Drew Doughty; Mikey Anderson – Brian Dumoulin.
Goalies: Anton Forsberg (expected starter on the back-to-back after Darcy Kuemper started the prior game) / Darcy Kuemper. Scratches typically include Jared Wright and Cody Ceci. Artemi Panarin has been a key offensive driver (strong recent production, including multi-point games). Brandt Clarke and Drew Doughty have contributed offensively from the blue line.
Chicago Blackhawks (projected):
Forwards: Roman Kantserov – Connor Bedard – Ryan Greene; Tyler Bertuzzi – Anton Frondell – Ryan Donato; Oliver Moore – Frank Nazar – Patrick Kane; Cole Smith – Jordan Greenway – Teuvo Teravainen.
Defense: Alex Vlasic – Ian Cole; Wyatt Kaiser – Artyom Levshunov; Kevin Korchinski – Sam Rinzel.
Goalies: Spencer Knight (expected/confirmed in multiple reports for a seventh straight start) / Arvid Soderblom. Scratches include Ethan Del Mastro and Andrew Mangiapane. Connor Bedard centers the top line, with Patrick Kane providing veteran playmaking (team-leading assists/points early). Line adjustments have been frequent as Chicago seeks chemistry.
Listed Injury Reports
Kings:
Mats Zuccarello (upper body) – Out/IR.
Kevin Fiala (leg surgery) – Out.
Alex Turcotte (undisclosed) – Out.
Additional notes in some reports: Jakub Dvorak (upper body, out), Jan Jenik (undisclosed, out); Quinton Byfield listed day-to-day/upper body in select updates but projected in lineup.
Blackhawks:
Bowen Byram (upper body) – Out/day-to-day.
Ryan Ellis (back) – Out for season (longer-term).
Chicago is relatively healthier up front but thin on defense without Byram.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Artemi Panarin / Adrian Kempe / Alex Laferriere vs. Alex Vlasic / Ian Cole and Chicago’s top pairing: Panarin (strong vs. former team historically) and Kempe’s shot volume against Chicago’s defensive structure. Panarin has produced well against the Blackhawks in his career.
Connor Bedard / Roman Kantserov / Ryan Greene vs. Drew Doughty / Joel Edmundson or Brandt Clarke: Bedard’s elite skill and playmaking tested by Los Angeles’ experienced, physical defense. Doughty remains a shutdown presence.
Patrick Kane (third-line role in projections) vs. secondary Kings defense: Kane’s creativity and vision against Anderson/Dumoulin or similar pairings. Kane leads Chicago in early points.
Goaltending – Anton Forsberg (or Kuemper) vs. Spencer Knight: Knight has taken the bulk of starts for Chicago. Forsberg is expected on the second night of the Kings’ back-to-back. Both teams have struggled defensively overall (high GA/G rankings).
Special teams: Both power plays rank poorly (Kings ~16.7%, Blackhawks last at ~8.3%). Penalty kills also lag (Kings near the bottom). Faceoffs favor Los Angeles.
Recent Team Forms
Kings (3-5-2): Improved after an 0-6 start, going 3-1-0 on the current road trip (including wins over Washington, Islanders in OT, and Rangers). Defensemen scored four goals in the Rangers win. Averaging ~2.70 GF/G and ~3.50 GA/G. Playing the second half of a back-to-back with travel.
Blackhawks (3-8-0): On a three-game skid (losses to Dallas, Montreal, Florida). Offense ranks near the bottom (~2.18 GF/G), power play is league-worst, and they allow a high volume of shots/goals (~3.91 GA/G). Home record 3-4-0. Young core (Bedard, prospects) provides upside but inconsistency remains.
Series History
First meeting of the 2026-27 season. In recent prior seasons, the Kings have generally held the edge in the matchup (e.g., winning series or individual games by competitive margins). Games have often been lower-scoring or decided by special teams and goaltending. Panarin has historically produced well against Chicago.
Betting Trends
Trends favor a lower-scoring game given both teams’ offensive struggles and defensive vulnerabilities. Chicago’s home underdog status and the Kings’ back-to-back/travel factor create value opportunities on the Blackhawks moneyline or +1.5. Public may lean Kings after their recent offensive outburst.
Game Odds
Los Angeles Kings 5.5
Chicago Blackhawks – 111
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, October 26, 2026
