The Detroit Red Wings, wrapping a demanding six-game road trip on a sour note after a lopsided loss in Edmonton, seek a series-clinching win against a shorthanded Chicago Blackhawks squad at the United Center. This Central Division tilt lacks its usual fireworks without Connor Bedard’s dynamic presence—his late-game shoulder injury sidelines the rookie phenom, thrusting Detroit’s balanced attack into a favorable spot against a leaky Blackhawks defense (3.12 GA/G, 23rd). The Wings’ rush game (top-10 in breakouts) could exploit Chicago’s transitional gaps, but the Hawks’ home underdog bite (5-3-2 as +150 or longer) adds intrigue. With Ville Husso seeking rebound form in net, this Saturday showdown boils down to Detroit’s depth versus Chicago’s desperation for points amid a .500 December.
Game Information
Puckdrop: 8:00 p.m. ET (puck drop)
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois (capacity: 19,717; home of the Blackhawks since 1995)
Broadcast: ESPN+, TNT (national), NBC Sports Chicago (Blackhawks local), Bally Sports Detroit (Red Wings local)
Series Context: Third meeting of the 2025-26 season (Detroit leads 2-0: 4-2 W on Oct. 15, 3-1 W on Nov. 28); Blackhawks aim to snap a 0-2 skid in the young rivalry.
Injury Report
Chicago’s star power takes a massive hit with Bedard’s absence, while Detroit’s forward corps is thinned but manageable. Both teams juggle goaltending workloads on the second night of back-to-backs for the Hawks.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury/Details | Estimated Return |
| Red Wings | Mason Appleton | C | Out | Lower Body | Dec. 20 (IR since Dec. 11; 3G, 6A in 26GP) |
| Red Wings | Simon Edvinsson | D | Questionable | Undisclosed | Game-time (DTD since Nov. 29; 0G, 2A in limited GP) |
| Blackhawks | Connor Bedard | C | Out | Upper Body (shoulder) | Dec. 16 (Injured Dec. 12 vs. STL; “freak accident” on final faceoff; 12G, 20A in 29GP) |
| Blackhawks | Nick Foligno | LW | Out | Hand | Dec. 22 (IR since Nov. 28; 0G, 6A in 15GP) |
| Blackhawks | Laurent Brossoit | G | Out | Hip | Dec. 27 (IR since Dec. 5; 0-0-0) |
| Blackhawks | Shea Weber | D | Out (Season) | Ankle | Indefinite (IR-LT; 0GP) |
Detroit slots J.T. Compher up top sans Appleton; Chicago recalls prospects like Oliver Moore to fill Bedard’s void, straining a blue line already without Weber’s vet presence.
Key Player Matchups
Projected lines reflect Bedard’s absence (Chicago promotes Frank Nazar to top-six) and Detroit’s post-road trip tweaks. Focus: DeBrincat’s finish vs. Chicago’s depleted center depth.
Red Wings Top Line (Raymond – Larkin – DeBrincat) vs. Blackhawks Top Line (Greene – Nazar – Burakovsky): Lucas Raymond (14G, 28P) and Dylan Larkin (12G, 25P) feed Alex DeBrincat’s hot hand (16G, 3P vs. CGY). Chicago counters with Ryan Greene’s speed and Andre Burakovsky’s finish, but Nazar (rookie adjustment) replaces Bedard’s creation. Edge: Wings’ proven chemistry exploits gaps.
Red Wings Second Line (Kasper – Copp – Kane) vs. Blackhawks Second Line (Bertuzzi – Dickinson – Mikheyev): Marco Kasper adds youth zip with Andrew Copp’s two-way reliability; Patrick Kane (5G, 16A) thrives on the wing. Tyler Bertuzzi’s grit pairs with Jason Dickinson’s checking and Ilya Mikheyev’s speed. Edge: Red Wings’ scoring punch (2.8 GF/60 last 5) over Chicago’s cycle.
Goalie Duel: Ville Husso (Red Wings) vs. Spencer Knight (Blackhawks): Husso (7-6-2, 3.02 GAA, .905 SV%; seeks reset after EDM pull) faces Chicago’s low shot volume (27.1/game). Knight (6-5-3, 2.88 GAA, .910 SV%; 23 saves vs. STL) starts on B2B; 2.45 GAA in last 3 home. Edge: Knight’s timeliness, but Detroit’s volume (31.2 SOG/game) tests.
Special teams: Detroit PP (21.5%, 13th) vs. Chicago PK (78.9%, 22nd); Hawks PP (18.2%) middling against Wings’ 82.1% kill (14th).
Team Records and Standings
Detroit Red Wings: 17-12-3 (37 points, 3rd in Atlantic Division; 8-6-2 on road). Advanced stats: 9th in GF/G (3.15), 18th in GA/G (3.05), +0.10 diff (14th).
Chicago Blackhawks: 13-12-6 (32 points, 5th in Central Division; 7-5-3 at home). Advanced stats: 25th in GF/G (2.65), 23rd in GA/G (3.12), -0.47 diff (25th).
Detroit’s road points streak (7 in last 9 away) meets Chicago’s home regression (3-4-2 last 9).
Recent Team Forms
Detroit’s three-game win streak evaporated in a 4-1 road drubbing by Edmonton on Dec. 11 (Husso pulled after 3 GA; outshot 38-25). Prior: 4-3 W @ CGY (Dec. 10; DeBrincat 2G-1A), 4-3 W @ SEA (Dec. 6), 5-4 W vs. BOS (Dec. 2). Last 10: 6-3-1 (3.2 GF/G, 2.9 GA/G), with 4-0-2 in last 6 road—resilient but vulnerable late (3 GA in 3rd vs. EDM).
Chicago drops to 2-3-1 in December after a 3-2 road loss to St. Louis on Dec. 12 (Knight 23 saves; Kaiser, Burakovsky score). Before: 3-0 W vs. NYR (Dec. 10; shutout), but 2-4 L @ CAR (Dec. 7), 1-5 L vs. ANA (Dec. 5). Last 10: 4-4-2 (2.4 GF/G, 3.0 GA/G), scoring first in 6 but blowing leads in 4—Bedard’s absence (2A vs. STL) amplifies woes.
| Last 5 Games | Red Wings Record | Key Stat | Blackhawks Record | Key Stat |
| @ EDM (Dec 11) | L 1-4 | 25 SOG, 0/2 PP | @ STL (Dec 12) | L 2-3 |
| @ CGY (Dec 10) | W 4-3 | 32 SOG, DeBrincat 3P | vs. NYR (Dec 10) | W 3-0 |
| @ SEA (Dec 6) | W 4-3 | 31 SOG, 2/4 PP | @ CAR (Dec 7) | L 2-4 |
| vs. BOS (Dec 2) | W 5-4 | 35 SOG, 1/3 PP | vs. ANA (Dec 5) | L 1-5 |
| @ MTL (Nov 29) | L 2-3 (OT) | 28 SOG, 1/4 PP | @ TOR (Dec 3) | W 4-3 |
Series History
In 300 regular-season meetings since 1926, Detroit holds a 147-132-21 edge (avg. 6.4 goals). Red Wings dominate lately: 6-4-0 in last 10, including two 2025 shutouts. At United Center: Chicago 56-85-8 all-time vs. DET. Overs hit 6-4 in last 10 (high-event: 6.8 goals avg.), but unders 3-2 in Detroit’s last 5 visits (Wings clamp: 2.2 GA/G).
Betting Trends
Puck Line: Red Wings -1.5 (+130); Blackhawks +1.5 -155. Chicago 3-7 ATS last 10 home.
Total: 6.5 (Over +110 / Under -130). Overs 5-5 in H2H; 6-4 in DET road.
Trends: Red Wings 6-4 SU last 10 vs. CHI; Blackhawks 1-4 SU last 5 home after loss. Public: 58% on Over 6.5. Sharp: Red Wings ML (line moved); underdogs 4-1 in CHI’s last 5.
Game Odds
Detroit Red Wings – 185
Chicago Blackhawks 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 12, 2025
