Early look The full preview opens on Friday 15 January, 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

Calgary Flames at Chicago Blackhawks: game preview

Puck drop18 Jan · 8:30 PM ET
VenueUnited Center
All-time meetings173 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Five points apart last season

Calgary finished last season 29th in the league on 77 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 174

Across 173 completed games, Chicago lead the head-to-head 87-67-19.

All-time record87-67-19Chicago's record in the series
Meetings played173This is number 174
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Calgary
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
15 Jan 2026CGY 3 – CHI 1——CGY
18 Nov 2025CGY 2 – CHI 5——CHI
7 Nov 2025CHI 4 – CGY 0——CHI
13 Jan 2025CGY 5 – CHI 2——CGY
21 Dec 2024CHI 4 – CGY 6——CGY
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateCalgaryChicago
7 Nov 20254-10-2 · 10 pts32nd7-5-3 · 17 pts15th
18 Nov 20255-13-3 · 13 pts32nd10-5-4 · 24 pts9th
15 Jan 202620-23-4 · 44 pts30th19-21-7 · 45 pts28th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 7 Nov 2025, Calgary were 32nd in the league and Chicago 15th. By 15 Jan 2026 it was 30th and 28th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Calgary out-attempted Chicago 158 to 144

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

Calgary Flames

158 att · 77 on goal · 5 G · 6.5%
Crease11 att · 1 G
Slot54 att · 2 G
Wing55 att · 1 G
Point30 att · 1 G
Neutral zone8 att · 0 G

Chicago Blackhawks

144 att · 73 on goal · 10 G · 13.7%
Crease7 att · 3 G
Slot62 att · 5 G
Wing48 att · 1 G
Point22 att · 0 G
Neutral zone5 att · 1 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.

CalgaryChicago
2.54xG for per game2.41
3.38xG against per game3.83
42.9%xG share38.7%
−4.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals−0.7
−5.9GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−1.7

This season: 3 games for Calgary, 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

Calgary

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2740.0%
Power play · 2025-2616.2% · 31st
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2790.0%
Penalty kill · 2025-2680.4% · 12th
Faceoffs · 2026-2750.3% · 90/179
Drawn · 2026-275 (1.67/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2710 (3.33/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
86Joel Farabee30220.67
22Ryan Strome31010.33
16Morgan Frost31010.33
16Anton Frondell41341.00
59Tyler Bertuzzi41120.50
91Frank Nazar41120.50
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
19Zayne Parekh30110.33
44Joel Hanley10000.00
55Jake Middleton30000.00
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 16 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 16 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Calgary crease

CGY · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 15 Jan

Dustin Wolf.7972 GP · 0-2-0 · GSAx −5.5
Devin Cooley.8801 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −0.1

No appearances against Chicago in the last meetings.

Chicago crease

CHI · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 15 Jan

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

No appearances against Calgary in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 5.9 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

15 Jan 20264 · CGY 3–1 CHI
18 Nov 20257 · CGY 2–5 CHI
7 Nov 20254 · CHI 4–0 CGY
13 Jan 20257 · CGY 5–2 CHI
21 Dec 202410 · CHI 4–6 CGY

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Calgary1.005.332.593.16
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 suggest5.9Goals 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

4 on the injury lists

Calgary · injuries

Jonathan HuberdeauHipIRReturn10 Oct

Chicago · injuries

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

Placed D Brayden Pachal and C Connor Zary on waivers.

26 Sep · CGY

Waived F Alex Nylander.

25 Sep · CGY

Assigned Fs Andrew Basha, Will Dineen and Tyson Gross, Ds Hunter Brzustewicz and Axel Hurtig and G Arsenii Sergeev to Calgary (AHL). Waived for the purpose of assignment to Calgary Fs Dryden Hunt, Ben Jones, Rory Kerins, Sam Morton and William Stromgren and Ds Michael Benning, Andreas Englund and Jake Livingstone.

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
#6Carson CarelsRound 1 · Prince GeorgeD
#30Jack HextallRound 1 · YoungstownC
#36Chase HarringtonRound 2 · SpokaneLW
#42Tobias TrejbalRound 2 · YoungstownG
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