Early look · NHL 2026-27

Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks: game preview

PittsburghPenguins2026-27: 2-1-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 41-25-16 · 98 pts · 10that

ChicagoBlackhawks2026-27: 1-3-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 29-39-14 · 72 pts · 31st

Puck drop13 Oct · 8:00 PM ET

VenueUnited Center

All-time meetings157 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Twenty-six points apart last season

Pittsburgh finished last season 10th in the league on 98 points. Chicago finished 31st on 72.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 158

Across 157 completed games, Chicago lead the head-to-head 92-60-5.

All-time record92-60-5Chicago's record in the series

Meetings played157This is number 158

2025-26 series—

Last 54-1Pittsburgh

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

29 Jan 2026CHI 2 – PIT 620–45CHI 0/2 · PIT 0/1PIT

28 Dec 2025PIT 7 – CHI 324–24PIT 1/2 · CHI 0/3PIT

8 Apr 2025CHI 0 – PIT 526–27CHI 0/2 · PIT 1/3PIT

6 Apr 2025PIT 1 – CHI 329–31PIT 1/3 · CHI 0/1CHI

15 Feb 2024PIT 4 – CHI 127–28PIT 0/1 · CHI 0/2PIT

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DatePittsburghChicago

28 Dec 202516-12-9 · 41 pts18th14-18-6 · 34 pts31st

29 Jan 202626-14-11 · 63 pts8th21-23-8 · 50 pts27th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 28 Dec 2025, Pittsburgh were 18th in the league and Chicago 31st. By 29 Jan 2026 it was 8th and 27th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Pittsburgh out-attempted Chicago 286 to 257

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Pittsburgh Penguins

286 att · 152 on goal · 23 G · 15.1%

Crease28 att · 2 G

Slot122 att · 16 G

Wing97 att · 4 G

Point36 att · 0 G

Neutral zone3 att · 1 G

Chicago Blackhawks

257 att · 129 on goal · 9 G · 7.0%

Crease22 att · 1 G

Slot94 att · 5 G

Wing100 att · 2 G

Point38 att · 1 G

Neutral zone3 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Pittsburgh have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

PittsburghChicago

3.58xG for per game2.41

2.47xG against per game3.83

59.2%xG share38.7%

+4.3FinishingGoals minus expected goals−0.7

−0.6GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−1.7

This season: 3 games for Pittsburgh, 4 for Chicago. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Pittsburgh

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2740.0%

Power play · 2025-2624.1% · 7th

Power play · last 5 meetings3/10 · 30.0%

Penalty kill · 2026-27100.0%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.4% · 6th

Faceoffs · 2026-2745.5% · 87/191

Drawn · 2026-2710 (3.33/gm)

Drawn · last meetings10 (2.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-276 (2.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings3

Chicago

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2711.1%

Power play · 2025-2616.9% · 29th

Power play · last 5 meetings0/10 · 0.0%

Penalty kill · 2026-2763.6%

Penalty kill · 2025-2683.6% · 2nd

Faceoffs · 2026-2742.1% · 99/235

Drawn · 2026-279 (2.25/gm)

Drawn · last meetings10 (2.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Bryan Rust has 6 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

In the last meetings

See all: In the last meetings →

PlayerGPGAPSOG

17Bryan Rust433613

39Anthony Mantha22355

6Ryan Shea41453

87Sidney Crosby531415

19Connor Dewar42247

67Rickard Rakell513414

52Noel Acciari41346

46Blake Lizotte30441

16Justin Brazeau23035

98Connor Bedard412314

Head-to-head finder

Bryan Rust vs Chicago · game by game

See all: Bryan Rust vs Chicago · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

28 Dec 2025away202217:38

8 Apr 2025home022318:42

6 Apr 2025away011520:20

15 Feb 2024away101318:06

Last 5 meetings6 P3 G, 3 A · 13 SOG

Next best5 PAnthony Mantha, PIT

2025-26 season65 P72 GP · 29 G

Blank vs CHI0 of 4A point in every meeting

Full game log

Goaltending

Arturs Silovs has started most of these meetings

Arturs Silovs played 2 of the last 5 meetings with Chicago, with a .886 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Pittsburgh

Expected starter after their game on 10 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Chicago

Expected starter after their game on 10 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Arturs Silovs

See all: Arturs Silovs →

PIT · 2-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 10 Oct

SV% · 2026-27.8862 GP · 2.47 GAA · 2025-26 .888

vs Chicago.8862 app · 44 SA · 5 GA

GSAx · 2026-27−0.52 starts · most on the roster

vs CHIVenueSAGASV%

29 Jan 2026home202.900

28 Dec 2025away243.875

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Sergei Murashov .912 (1 GP)

Full game log

Chicago crease

CHI · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 10 Oct

Spencer Knight.8913 GP · 1-2-0 · GSAx +0.5

Arvid Soderblom.8131 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −2.0

Two goalies used against Pittsburgh

#vs PITAppsSAGASV%

40Arvid Soderblom38612.860

30Spencer Knight36510.846

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.5 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

29 Jan 20268 · CHI 2–6 PIT

28 Dec 202510 · PIT 7–3 CHI

8 Apr 20255 · CHI 0–5 PIT

6 Apr 20254 · PIT 1–3 CHI

15 Feb 20245 · PIT 4–1 CHI

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Pittsburgh5.002.673.573.27

Chicago2.254.252.603.35

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.5Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.4Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

6 on the injury lists

Pittsburgh · injuries

Bryan RustUpper BodyIRReturn7 Oct

Justin BrazeauLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct

Ryan GravesKneeIRReturn24 Oct

Chicago · injuries

Andrew MangiapaneLower BodyOutReturn25 Oct

Connor BedardShoulderIRReturn7 Nov

Teuvo TeravainenUndisclosedOutReturn10 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

3 Oct · PIT

Activated C/RW Benjamin Kindel from injured reserve. Placed C/LW David Gustafsson on waivers.

1 Oct · PIT

Assigned F Rutger McGroarty to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

30 Sep · PIT

Reinstated C Blake Lizotte from injured reserve.

3 Oct · CHI

Assigned D Charles Alexis Legault to Chicago (AHL).

24 Sep · CHI

Agreed to terms with F Oliver Moore on a five-year contract extension. Loaned Fs Jiri felcman, Martin Misiak and Marek Vanacker and D Dylan Anhorn to Rockford (AHL). Assigned F Brett Seney to Rockford.

21 Sep · CHI

Placed D Derrick Pouliot on waivers.

Injury report

Pittsburgh · 2026 draft

See all: Pittsburgh · 2026 draft →

#22Liam RuckRound 1 · Medicine HatRW

#39Markus RuckRound 2 · Medicine HatC

#54Tomas GalvasRound 2 · LiberecD

#86Pierce MbuyiRound 3 · Owen SoundLW

Full draft

Chicago · 2026 draft

See all: Chicago · 2026 draft →

#34Xavier VilleneuveRound 2 · Blainville-boisbriandD

#35Ryan RoobroeckRound 2 · NiagaraLW

#66Samu AlalauriRound 3 · Pelicans Jr.D

#194Alexander IvanovRound 7 · Bars KazanD

Full draft

Tuesday 13 October · the full slate

See all: Tuesday 13 October · the full slate →

CHIThis game 8:15 PM ET

Updated after every final

Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks: game preview

Twenty-six points apart last season

Meeting number 158

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Pittsburgh out-attempted Chicago 286 to 257

Pittsburgh Penguins

Chicago Blackhawks

Pittsburgh have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Pittsburgh

Chicago

Bryan Rust has 6 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Bryan Rust vs Chicago · game by game

Arturs Silovs has started most of these meetings

Arturs Silovs

Chicago crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.5 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

6 on the injury lists

Pittsburgh · injuries

Chicago · injuries

Latest moves

Pittsburgh · 2026 draft

Chicago · 2026 draft

Tuesday 13 October · the full slate