Venue & Game Info
- Time: 5:00 PM ET (2:00 PM PT)
- Location: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida
- Broadcast: ESPN, SN1, TVAS
Injury Report
Florida Panthers
- Aleksander Barkov (C): Out 7–9 months (ACL/MCL surgery).
- Matthew Tkachuk (F): Out until December (sports hernia/adductor surgery).
- Tomas Nosek (F): Out indefinitely (knee).
Chicago Blackhawks
- Landon Slaggert (F): Lower body, out.
- Joey Anderson (F): Lower body, out.
- Alex Vlasic (D): Day‑to‑day (leg laceration).
Projected Lineups
Chicago Blackhawks
- Top Line: Andre Burakovsky – Connor Bedard – Ryan Donato
- Second Line: Tyler Bertuzzi – Frank Nazar – Teuvo Teravainen
- Goaltender: Spencer Knight (facing his former team)
Florida Panthers
- Top Line: Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
- Second Line: Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand
- Goaltender: Sergei Bobrovsky (37, veteran starter)
Team Records (2024–25 Season)
- Florida Panthers: 47‑31‑4 (Stanley Cup Champions, second straight title)
- Home: 33‑15‑3
- Power Play: 23.8%
- Chicago Blackhawks: 25‑46‑11
- Road: 10‑26‑5
- Goals per Game: 2.7
Recent Form
- Panthers: Enter as back‑to‑back Cup champions, but missing Barkov and Tkachuk significantly reduces their offensive punch.
- Blackhawks: Rebuilding under new coach Jeff Blashill, with Connor Bedard (67 points last season) as centerpiece. Spencer Knight gets emotional start vs. his former team.
Series History
- All‑Time: Panthers lead the series 29‑21‑3.
- Last Season: Florida swept Chicago 2‑0.
- Trend: Panthers have won 6 of the last 7 meetings.
Betting Trends
- Panthers leaned Over (54% of games).
- Blackhawks leaned Under (52% of games).
Key Matchups
- Connor Bedard (CHI) vs. Sam Reinhart (FLA): Bedard is Chicago’s offensive engine; Reinhart must carry Florida’s top line without Barkov/Tkachuk.
- Spencer Knight (CHI) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA): Knight faces his old team; Bobrovsky remains steady but is aging.
- Special Teams: Florida’s power play was elite last year; Chicago’s penalty kill must improve to stay competitive.
Game Odds
Chicago Blackhawks 5.5
Florida Panthers – 285
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, October 6, 2025
