Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT)
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Game Overview
The Canadiens open a four-game road trip against the Blackhawks in a non-conference matchup. Broadcasts include NHL Network, CHSN (Chicago), TSN2, and RDS (Montreal region). This is the first meeting of the 2026-27 season between the clubs.
Projected Lineups
Montreal Canadiens
Forwards: Cole Caufield – Oliver Kapanen – Juraj Slafkovský
Chris Kreider – Alex Newhook – Josh Anderson
Zachary Bolduc – Phillip Danault – Alexandre Texier
Kirby Dach – Owen Beck – Jake Evans
Defense: Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson
Kaiden Guhle – Alexandre Carrier
Arber Xhekaj – Mike Matheson
Goalies: Jacob Fowler (projected starter) / Jakub Dobes
Key notes: Captain Nick Suzuki is sidelined (ending a long ironman streak). Matheson is expected to return after missing games. Owen Beck was recalled.
Chicago Blackhawks
Forwards: Roman Kantserov – Connor Bedard – Patrick Kane
Tyler Bertuzzi – Anton Frondell – Teuvo Teräväinen
Oliver Moore – Frank Nazar – Ryan Donato
Cole Smith – Ryan Greene – Jordan Greenway
Defense: Alex Vlasic – Ian Cole
Wyatt Kaiser – Artyom Levshunov
Ethan Del Mastro – Sam Rinzel
Goalies: Spencer Knight (projected starter) / Arvid Söderblom
Key notes: Bedard and Kane form a high-profile top unit. Byram remains out.
Injury Reports
Canadiens
Nick Suzuki (C, upper body) — Out 2–4 weeks
Samuel Montembeault (G, lower body) — Out / IR
Ivan Demidov (RW, lower body) — Out / IR
Florian Xhekaj (LW, lower body) — Out / IR
Mike Matheson (D, lower body) — Returning (missed recent games)
Others (e.g., Lucas Condotta, Bryce Pickford) on longer-term or non-roster lists
Blackhawks
Andrew Mangiapane (LW, lower body) — Out / IR
Bowen Byram (D, upper body) — Day-to-day (missed recent games; not in concussion protocol)
Ryan Ellis (D, back) — Out for season
Confirm final status closer to puck drop, as lineups can shift.
Recent Team Forms
Canadiens (4-3-2): Competitive early season with a mix of regulation, OT, and shootout results. Recent results include an OT loss to San Jose (where Suzuki was injured), OT/SO wins over Buffalo, and mixed outcomes against Washington, Detroit, and others. They score at a solid clip (around 3.11 GF/GP) but allow goals at a higher rate (3.78 GA/GP). Stronger expected-goals metrics relative to results in some tracking.
Blackhawks (3-6-0): Struggling overall, especially offensively (around 2.33 GF/GP) and defensively (4.00 GA/GP). They have shown home competitiveness (part of a homestand) with wins mixed in against teams like Winnipeg (OT), Pittsburgh, and St. Louis, but losses to stronger sides. Bottom-tier rankings in several key categories early.
Key Player Matchups
Cole Caufield / Juraj Slafkovský vs. Connor Bedard / Patrick Kane: Top-line skill and scoring. Caufield leads Montreal early in goals; Bedard and Kane provide Chicago’s primary offensive punch and creativity.
Lane Hutson / Noah Dobson vs. Bedard line: Young, mobile Canadiens defense against Chicago’s star center and veteran winger. Transition play and defensive-zone coverage will be critical.
Phillip Danault / Josh Anderson / Chris Kreider vs. Chicago middle-six: Matchup/checking lines and secondary scoring. Danault’s faceoff and two-way play vs. Chicago’s depth forwards.
Goaltending: Jacob Fowler vs. Spencer Knight: Fowler has posted stronger early numbers for Montreal; Knight has been the workhorse for Chicago with mixed results.
Special teams and faceoffs (Montreal stronger early in FO%) could tilt possession and scoring chances. Power-play efficiency has been a struggle for both.
Series History
First meeting of the 2026-27 season. Historically, the clubs have a long rivalry; Chicago holds a solid all-time edge and has been competitive in more recent samples (including a strong mark in the last 25 meetings in some reports). Montreal took both meetings in the prior season in some accounts. Bedard has produced points in prior games against the Canadiens.
Betting Trends
Road favorites in early-season inter-conference games can be volatile. Montreal’s higher scoring rate and Chicago’s defensive struggles support the visitors, but Suzuki’s absence and Chicago’s home ice create counter-pressure. Unders have value when both teams’ power plays lag and goaltending stabilizes. Chicago has been competitive at home early.
Game Odds
Montreal Canadiens- 162
Chicago Blackhawks 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, October 22, 2026
