Early look The full preview opens on Thursday 24 December, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Philadelphia Flyers at Chicago Blackhawks: game preview

Puck drop27 Dec · 3:00 PM ET
VenueUnited Center
All-time meetings164 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Twenty-six points apart last season

Philadelphia finished last season 11th 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 165

Across 164 completed games, Philadelphia lead the head-to-head 93-65-6.

All-time record93-65-6Philadelphia's record in the series
Meetings played164This is number 165
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Philadelphia
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
26 Mar 2026CHI 1 – PHI 5——PHI
23 Dec 2025PHI 3 – CHI 1——PHI
23 Mar 2025PHI 4 – CHI 7——CHI
23 Nov 2024CHI 2 – PHI 3 OT——PHI
30 Mar 2024CHI 5 – PHI 1——CHI
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DatePhiladelphiaChicago
23 Dec 202519-10-7 · 45 pts6th13-17-6 · 32 pts32nd
26 Mar 202635-24-12 · 82 pts15th27-32-13 · 67 pts30th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 23 Dec 2025, Philadelphia were 6th in the league and Chicago 32nd. By 26 Mar 2026 it was 15th and 30th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Philadelphia out-attempted Chicago 125 to 98

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

Philadelphia Flyers

125 att · 68 on goal · 8 G · 11.8%
Crease16 att · 2 G
Slot47 att · 5 G
Wing37 att · 1 G
Point19 att · 0 G
Neutral zone6 att · 0 G

Chicago Blackhawks

98 att · 47 on goal · 2 G · 4.3%
Crease7 att · 0 G
Slot32 att · 1 G
Wing45 att · 1 G
Point14 att · 0 G
Neutral zone0 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Chicago 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.

PhiladelphiaChicago
1.95xG for per game2.41
4.51xG against per game3.83
30.2%xG share38.7%
−2.8FinishingGoals minus expected goals−0.7
+1.0GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−1.7

This season: 4 games for Philadelphia, 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

Philadelphia

Small sample
Power play · 2026-270.0%
Power play · 2025-2615.7% · 32nd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2773.3%
Penalty kill · 2025-2677.6% · 22nd
Faceoffs · 2026-2753.6% · 133/248
Drawn · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2715 (3.75/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Chicago

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2711.1%
Power play · 2025-2616.9% · 29th
Power play · last 5 meetings—
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 meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
14Sean Couturier40220.50
11Travis Konecny40220.50
74Owen Tippett41010.25
16Anton Frondell41341.00
59Tyler Bertuzzi41120.50
91Frank Nazar41120.50
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
24Nick Seeler40110.25
72Alex Vlasic40220.50
6Sam Rinzel31010.33
44Wyatt Kaiser40110.25
Defencemen stats

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 21 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 20 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Philadelphia crease

PHI · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 24 Dec

Dan Vladar.8632 GP · 0-2-0 · GSAx −1.6
Joseph Woll.9292 GP · 0-0-2 · GSAx +3.2

No appearances against Chicago in the last meetings.

Chicago crease

CHI · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 24 Dec

Spencer Knight.8913 GP · 1-2-0 · GSAx +0.5
Arvid Soderblom.8131 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −2.0

No appearances against Philadelphia in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.0 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

26 Mar 20266 · CHI 1–5 PHI
23 Dec 20254 · PHI 3–1 CHI
23 Mar 202511 · PHI 4–7 CHI
23 Nov 20245 · CHI 2–3 PHI
30 Mar 20246 · CHI 5–1 PHI

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Philadelphia1.254.253.052.96
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 suggest6.0Goals 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

Philadelphia · injuries

Helge GransLower BodyIRReturn8 Oct
Nikita GrebenkinUpper BodyIRReturn8 Oct
Rasmus RistolainenUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Chicago · injuries

Andrew MangiapaneLower BodyOutReturn25 Oct
Connor BedardShoulderIRReturn7 Nov
Teuvo TeravainenUndisclosedOutReturn10 Oct
5 Oct · PHI

Reinstated C Jett Luchanko Barkey from injured reserve.

27 Sep · PHI

Agreed to terms with LW Garrett Wilson on a 1-Year contract. Loaned G Alexei Kolosov to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

25 Sep · PHI

Loaned Fs Jacob Gaucher, Cole Knuble and Jett Luchanko and D Oliver Bonk to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

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

Philadelphia · 2026 draft

See all: Philadelphia · 2026 draft →
#27Maksim SokolovskiiRound 1 · LondonD
#53Brek LiskeRound 2 · EverettD
#62Martin PsohlavecRound 2 · Karlovy Vary Jr.G
#120Marek SklenickaRound 4 · SeattleG
Full draft
#34Xavier VilleneuveRound 2 · Blainville-boisbriandD
#35Ryan RoobroeckRound 2 · NiagaraLW
#66Samu AlalauriRound 3 · Pelicans Jr.D
#194Alexander IvanovRound 7 · Bars KazanD
Full draft

Updated after every final