Early look · NHL 2026-27

Buffalo Sabres at Chicago Blackhawks: game preview

BuffaloSabres2026-27: 2-1-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 50-23-9 · 109 pts · 4that

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

Puck drop12 Nov · 8:00 PM ET

VenueUnited Center

All-time meetings146 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Thirty-seven points apart last season

Buffalo finished last season 4th in the league on 109 points. Chicago finished 31st on 72, and the 2025-26 season series went BUF 2-0-0.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 147

Across 146 completed games, Buffalo lead the head-to-head 78-59-8.

All-time record78-59-8Buffalo's record in the series

Meetings played146This is number 147

2025-26 seriesBUF 2-0-0

Last 55-0Buffalo

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

3 OctCHI 3 – BUF 415–28CHI 0/2 · BUF 0/3BUF

13 Apr 2026BUF 5 – CHI 126–16BUF 0/2 · CHI 0/5BUF

21 Nov 2025CHI 3 – BUF 923–31CHI 1/2 · BUF 1/2BUF

27 Dec 2024CHI 2 – BUF 617–35CHI 0/1 · BUF 0/1BUF

19 Oct 2024BUF 4 – CHI 222–37BUF 0/4 · CHI 0/1BUF

Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DateBuffaloChicago

21 Nov 20258-9-4 · 20 pts28th10-7-4 · 24 pts18th

13 Apr 202650-23-8 · 108 pts4th28-39-14 · 70 pts31st

3 Oct1-1-0 · 2 pts22nd0-3-0 · 0 pts32nd

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 21 Nov 2025, Buffalo were 28th in the league and Chicago 18th. By 3 Oct it was 22nd and 32nd.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Buffalo out-attempted Chicago 290 to 231

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

Buffalo Sabres

290 att · 142 on goal · 28 G · 19.7%

Crease27 att · 1 G

Slot116 att · 20 G

Wing109 att · 5 G

Point31 att · 2 G

Neutral zone7 att · 0 G

Chicago Blackhawks

231 att · 108 on goal · 11 G · 10.2%

Crease16 att · 1 G

Slot82 att · 7 G

Wing93 att · 2 G

Point35 att · 1 G

Neutral zone5 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Buffalo 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.

BuffaloChicago

3.53xG for per game2.41

2.17xG against per game3.83

62.0%xG share38.7%

−0.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals−0.7

−4.5GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−1.7

This season: 3 games for Buffalo, 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

Buffalo

Small sample

Power play · 2026-270.0%

Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 21st

Power play · last 5 meetings1/12 · 8.3%

Penalty kill · 2026-2766.7%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.9% · 4th

Faceoffs · 2026-2750.6% · 91/180

Drawn · 2026-2710 (3.33/gm)

Drawn · last meetings12 (2.40/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings1

Chicago

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2711.1%

Power play · 2025-2616.9% · 29th

Power play · last 5 meetings1/11 · 9.1%

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 meetings11 (2.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings1

Skaters

Alex Tuch has 10 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

89Alex Tuch4461010

72Tage Thompson554918

26Rasmus Dahlin51677

22Jack Quinn532514

71Ryan McLeod53259

59Tyler Bertuzzi540412

17Jason Zucker41345

91Josh Doan32136

24Bowen Byram41236

72Alex Vlasic51235

Head-to-head finder

Alex Tuch vs Chicago · game by game

See all: Alex Tuch vs Chicago · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

13 Apr 2026away112321:23

21 Nov 2025home044118:04

27 Dec 2024home303316:26

19 Oct 2024away011318:57

Last 5 meetings10 P4 G, 6 A · 10 SOG

Next best9 PTage Thompson, BUF

2025-26 season66 P79 GP · 33 G

Blank vs CHI0 of 4A point in every meeting

Full game log

Goaltending

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been the difference

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen faced 108 shots across 5 appearances against Chicago and conceded 11, a .898 save percentage against a season figure of .784. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Buffalo

Expected starter after their game on 11 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Chicago

Expected starter after their game on 7 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

See all: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen →

BUF · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Nov

SV% · 2026-27.7842 GP · 4.03 GAA · 2025-26 .910

vs Chicago.8985 app · 108 SA · 11 GA

GSAx · 2026-27−3.72 starts · most on the roster

vs CHIVenueSAGASV%

3 Octhome153.800

13 Apr 2026away161.938

21 Nov 2025home233.870

27 Dec 2024home172.882

19 Oct 2024away372.946

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Colten Ellis .900 (1 GP)

Full game log

Arvid Soderblom

See all: Arvid Soderblom →

CHI · 0-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Nov

SV% · 2026-27.8131 GP · 6.00 GAA · 2025-26 .880

vs Buffalo.8163 app · 76 SA · 14 GA

GSAx · 2026-27−2.01 start

vs BUFVenueSAGASV%

21 Nov 2025away319.710

27 Dec 2024away242.917

19 Oct 2024home213.857

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Spencer Knight .891 (3 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 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

3 Oct7 · CHI 3–4 BUF

13 Apr 20266 · BUF 5–1 CHI

21 Nov 202512 · CHI 3–9 BUF

27 Dec 20248 · CHI 2–6 BUF

19 Oct 20246 · BUF 4–2 CHI

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

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

Buffalo3.333.673.512.94

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 suggest6.3Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings7.8Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

9 on the injury lists

Buffalo · injuries

Alex LyonUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Conor TimminsLower BodyIRReturn17 Oct

Jack RathboneUndisclosedIRReturn24 Oct

Jason ZuckerAbdomenIRReturn15 Oct

Josh DoanLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Topias LeinonenLower BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Chicago · injuries

Andrew MangiapaneLower BodyOutReturn25 Oct

Connor BedardShoulderIRReturn7 Nov

Teuvo TeravainenUndisclosedOutReturn10 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

2 Oct · BUF

Loaned D Dennis Gilbert to Rochester (AHL).

1 Oct · BUF

Recalled D Dennis Gilbert from Rochester (AHL). Placed G Alex Lyon and D Olen Zellweger on injured reserve. Signed D Louis Crevier to a four-year contract. Transferred F Matthew Savoie to long-term injured reserve.

14 Sep · BUF

Signed C Noah Östlund to an eight-year contract.

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

Buffalo · 2026 draft

See all: Buffalo · 2026 draft →

#4Daxon RudolphRound 1 · Prince AlbertD

#20Ilia MorozovRound 1 · MiamiC

#124Olivers MurnieksRound 4 · Saint JohnC

#156Doman SzongothRound 5 · Kookoo Jr.C

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

Thursday 12 November · the full slate

See all: Thursday 12 November · the full slate →

CHIThis game 8:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Buffalo Sabres at Chicago Blackhawks: game preview

Thirty-seven points apart last season

Meeting number 147

Last 5 meetings

The table on each meeting night

Buffalo out-attempted Chicago 290 to 231

Buffalo Sabres

Chicago Blackhawks

Buffalo have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Buffalo

Chicago

Alex Tuch has 10 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Alex Tuch vs Chicago · game by game

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been the difference

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Arvid Soderblom

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

9 on the injury lists

Buffalo · injuries

Chicago · injuries

Latest moves

Buffalo · 2026 draft

Chicago · 2026 draft

Thursday 12 November · the full slate