Game preview · NHL 2026-27

Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh Penguins: game preview

DallasStars2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 50-20-12 · 112 pts · 3rdat

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

Puck drop10 Oct · 7:00 PM ET

VenuePPG Paints Arena

All-time meetings48 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Fourteen points apart last season

Dallas finished last season 3rd in the league on 112 points. Pittsburgh finished 10th on 98, and the 2025-26 season series went DAL 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 49

Across 48 completed games, Dallas lead the head-to-head 26-19-3.

All-time record26-19-3Dallas's record in the series

Meetings played48This is number 49

2025-26 seriesDAL 2-0-0

Last 54-1Dallas

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

28 Mar 2026DAL 6 – PIT 326–12DAL 2/5 · PIT 1/4DAL

7 Dec 2025PIT 2 – DAL 3 SO29–23PIT 0/2 · DAL 0/1DAL

5 Apr 2025PIT 5 – DAL 340–24PIT 1/3 · DAL 1/2PIT

11 Nov 2024DAL 7 – PIT 140–21DAL 2/4 · PIT 0/1DAL

22 Mar 2024PIT 2 – DAL 422–23PIT 0/2 · DAL 1/2DAL

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateDallasPittsburgh

7 Dec 202520-5-5 · 45 pts2nd14-7-6 · 34 pts9th

28 Mar 202644-18-11 · 99 pts2nd36-21-16 · 88 pts10th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 7 Dec 2025, Dallas were 2nd in the league and Pittsburgh 9th. By 28 Mar 2026 it was 2nd and 10th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Pittsburgh out-attempted Dallas 293 to 274

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

Dallas Stars

274 att · 136 on goal · 22 G · 16.2%

Crease14 att · 2 G

Slot130 att · 10 G

Wing90 att · 6 G

Point28 att · 2 G

Neutral zone12 att · 2 G

Pittsburgh Penguins

293 att · 124 on goal · 13 G · 10.5%

Crease23 att · 4 G

Slot107 att · 7 G

Wing106 att · 1 G

Point52 att · 0 G

Neutral zone5 att · 1 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Dallas 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.

DallasPittsburgh

3.08xG for per game3.58

2.44xG against per game2.47

55.8%xG share59.2%

−3.2FinishingGoals minus expected goals+4.3

+1.3GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−0.6

This season: 3 games for Dallas, 3 for Pittsburgh. 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

Dallas

Small sample

Power play · 2026-270.0%

Power play · 2025-2628.6% · 2nd

Power play · last 5 meetings6/14 · 42.9%

Penalty kill · 2026-2777.8%

Penalty kill · 2025-2680.3% · 13th

Faceoffs · 2026-2755.1% · 86/156

Drawn · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)

Drawn · last meetings14 (2.80/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings6

Pittsburgh

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2740.0%

Power play · 2025-2624.1% · 7th

Power play · last 5 meetings2/12 · 16.7%

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 meetings12 (2.40/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-276 (2.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings2

Skaters

Jamie Benn 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

14Jamie Benn433610

4Miro Heiskanen432512

87Sidney Crosby43258

21Jason Robertson514514

95Matt Duchene51456

27Mason Marchment31456

Evgenii Dadonov23038

22Mavrik Bourque42134

65Erik Karlsson51239

96Mikko Rantanen31238

Head-to-head finder

Jamie Benn vs Pittsburgh · game by game

See all: Jamie Benn vs Pittsburgh · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

28 Mar 2026away022112:08

7 Dec 2025home101417:02

11 Nov 2024away011213:47

22 Mar 2024home202313:43

Last 5 meetings6 P3 G, 3 A · 10 SOG

Next best5 PMiro Heiskanen, DAL

2026-27 season2 P3 GP · 1 G

Blank vs PIT0 of 4A point in every meeting

Full game log

Goaltending

Jake Oettinger has started most of these meetings

Jake Oettinger played 4 of the last 5 meetings with Pittsburgh, with a .905 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Dallas

Expected starter after their game on 8 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Pittsburgh

Expected starter after their game on 9 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Jake Oettinger

See all: Jake Oettinger →

DAL · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter not named

SV% · 2026-27.9432 GP · 1.01 GAA · 2025-26 .899

vs Pittsburgh.9054 app · 84 SA · 8 GA

GSAx · 2026-27+2.02 starts · most on the roster

vs PITVenueSAGASV%

28 Mar 2026away123.750

7 Dec 2025home292.931

11 Nov 2024away211.952

22 Mar 2024home222.909

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Casey DeSmith .923 (1 GP)

Full game log

Pittsburgh crease

PIT · 2026-27 Starter not named

Arturs Silovs.8862 GP · 2-0-0 · GSAx −0.5

Sergei Murashov.9121 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −0.5

No appearances against Dallas in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.4 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

28 Mar 20269 · DAL 6–3 PIT

7 Dec 20255 · PIT 2–3 DAL

5 Apr 20258 · PIT 5–3 DAL

11 Nov 20248 · DAL 7–1 PIT

22 Mar 20246 · PIT 2–4 DAL

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

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

Dallas2.002.003.402.76

Pittsburgh5.002.673.573.27

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 suggest6.4Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings7.2Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

7 on the injury lists

Dallas · injuries

Cameron HughesUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Harrison ScottUndisclosedIRReturn8 Oct

Luke KrysUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Matt DucheneLower BodyIRReturn25 Oct

Pittsburgh · injuries

Bryan RustUpper BodyIRReturn7 Oct

Justin BrazeauLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct

Ryan GravesKneeIRReturn24 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

5 Oct · DAL

Assigned D Cameron Bertucci to Texas (AHL).

1 Oct · DAL

Placed F Matt Duchene on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Sept. 29. Recalled Fs Arttu Hyry and Colin Blackwell from Texas (AHL).

30 Sep · DAL

Signed G Casey DeSmith to a two-year contract.

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.

Injury report

Dallas · 2026 draft

See all: Dallas · 2026 draft →

#59Jakub VanecekRound 2 · Tri-cityD

#155Ryan BrownRound 5 · LondonLW

#187Anton Emil Wilde LarsenRound 6 · FrederikshavnG

#197Jasper KuhtaRound 7 · OttawaC

Full draft

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

Saturday 10 October · the full slate

See all: Saturday 10 October · the full slate →

PITThis game 7:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh Penguins: game preview

Fourteen points apart last season

Meeting number 49

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Pittsburgh out-attempted Dallas 293 to 274

Dallas Stars

Pittsburgh Penguins

Dallas have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Dallas

Pittsburgh

Jamie Benn has 6 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Jamie Benn vs Pittsburgh · game by game

Jake Oettinger has started most of these meetings

Jake Oettinger

Pittsburgh crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.4 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

7 on the injury lists

Dallas · injuries

Pittsburgh · injuries

Latest moves

Dallas · 2026 draft

Pittsburgh · 2026 draft

Saturday 10 October · the full slate