Florida Panthers at Chicago Blackhawks | Sunday, October 25, 2026 | 2:00 PM CT / 3:00 PM ET | United Center, Chicago | CHSN (local)
I picked the Hawks to beat Montreal on Friday, 4-3. We lost 4-1. Connor Bedard scored on a rush five minutes in, and after that Montreal took over. Now a 3-7-0 team gets a Sunday matinee against a Florida group that has its own problems, and honestly, it might be the best chance we’ve had in weeks.
Game Info: Panthers at Blackhawks
- Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026
- Puck drop: 2:00 PM CT / 3:00 PM ET. One stats page listed 7:00 PM, but the NHL’s preview and Fubo both say 3:00 PM ET, so I went with that
- Venue: United Center, Chicago
- TV: CHSN locally, per the NHL’s game preview. The NHL’s listing also shows Scripps, SN and TVAS, and one odds page lists ESPN+. Check your provider
- Records: Blackhawks 3-7-0; Panthers 5-4-2
- Odds: Bleacher Nation’s listing had Florida at -185 and Chicago at +150, with a total of six goals. That page notes its analysis was produced with an automated tool, so treat it as a rough guide
Where the Hawks Are Right Now
Ten games in, the numbers look bad. The Hawks rank 31st in both goals scored (2.2 per game) and goals allowed (4.0), based on the stats page I found. Second City Hockey’s recap of the Montreal game was blunt, saying the team “feels like the end of last season,” and the underlying numbers backed it up.
- Shot quality: Chicago had zero high-danger chances in the first period of the Montreal game, then was outchanced 6-1 in high-danger chances at 5-on-5 in the second. The third period needed more than 12 minutes to produce a shot on goal.
- Special teams: The power play went 0-for-5, allowed two 2-on-1 rushes on one man advantage and gave up a shorthanded goal to Jake Evans.
- Spencer Knight: He made 24 saves on Friday. Through eight starts, he has a .888 save percentage, and Second City Hockey says he wasn’t the problem on Friday. He has started the last five games, and the NHL preview isn’t sure he starts again. Arvid Soderblom is listed first and “could play.”
- Bedard said after Friday’s game, “Maybe you’re trying to do too much, myself included.”
Projected lineup (per the NHL): Kantserov-Bedard-Kane, Bertuzzi-Frondell-Greenway, Teravainen-Nazar-Donato and Smith-Greene-Mangiapane up front, with Vlasic-Cole, Kaiser-Levshunov and Korchinski-Rinzel on defense.
- Injuries: Bowen Byram (upper body) has missed three straight games and skated in a non-contact jersey on Saturday. Ryan Ellis (back) is out for the season, according to one listing.
- Andrew Mangiapane may play his first game since the season opener after coming off injured reserve on Friday.
- Scratches: Ethan Del Mastro and Oliver Moore were listed as scratches.
The Panthers: Missing Pieces and a Rough Week
Florida is 5-4-2 and has lost its last two, 5-1 to Ottawa and 4-0 at Pittsburgh, after winning three in a row before that. Its scoring is a bright spot (2.8 goals per game), and the first line of Brady Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk is still dangerous. Brady Tkachuk leads the team with seven goals.
- Out: Aleksander Barkov (knee), Brad Marchand (knee), Jacob Markstrom (upper body) and Jonah Gadjovich (neck).
- Forsling: Gustav Forsling was hit by a puck against Pittsburgh and didn’t return. He’s listed as day-to-day and is in the projected lineup, so his status is something to watch.
- Goalie: Akira Schmid starts, per the NHL’s status report, with Cooper Black as backup. Black made 18 saves in his NHL debut at Pittsburgh. With Markstrom out, Florida is leaning on goalies without much track record.
Losing Barkov and Marchand takes two of Florida’s most important forwards out of the lineup. Without them, the depth lines have to carry more than they normally would.
The Matchups That Matter
Chicago’s rush game against Florida’s defense. The Hawks’ best offense on Friday came off the rush: Bedard’s goal and the follow-up chances from Kantserov and Kane. Florida has Forsling, Ekblad and Jones on the back end, but it just lost 5-1 and 4-0. If the Hawks can create odd-man looks again, that is the most reliable path.
The power play. Zero for five on Friday was ugly, and the shorthanded goal made it worse. Florida has lost bodies, but the Hawks need to be disciplined with the puck on the man advantage.
The Tkachuk line against Vlasic and Cole. Vlasic and Cole are the pair I’d expect to see the most of that line. Brady Tkachuk has seven goals, and Chicago can’t let him sit in front of the net.
Goaltending on both sides. Schmid versus whoever starts for Chicago. Neither team is getting elite goaltending, so the first goal might be even more important than usual.
Florida’s mood. The Panthers are coming off two lopsided losses in a row, and the Hawks should expect a team that wants to bounce back at 2 PM CT.
What Actually Decides It
The market likes Florida, and I get it. The Panthers are better on paper, they score more and Chicago has been outplayed most nights. Even without Barkov and Marchand, their top line can win a game.
My issue is how Chicago keeps losing: slow starts after the first ten minutes, no shot volume and a power play that doesn’t scare anyone. Florida’s injuries open a window, but a team that creates zero high-danger chances in a period won’t take advantage of it. I’d love to pick my team here and I think there’s a real chance, especially if Bedard’s line gets another rush or two. But I’ll go with the more complete roster, with the Hawks keeping it within a goal until late.
My Final Score Prediction: Florida Panthers 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3
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