Dallas Stars at Chicago Blackhawks | Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 6:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM ET | United Center, Chicago | CHSN, ESPN+, WGN-720 AM
I picked the Jets on Thursday, 4-3, and got the score right and the winner wrong. Blackhawks 4, Jets 3 in overtime. Artyom Levshunov won it 1:37 into the extra period on a pass from Connor Bedard, and I’m very happy to have missed.
So the Hawks are 3-5 and 2-0 since Bedard came back. That’s a nice little streak, but Saturday is a different kind of test. Dallas has allowed the fewest goals in the league and is near the bottom in scoring. Something about this one is going to be ugly in the best way.
Game Info: Stars at Blackhawks
- Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
- Puck drop: 6:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: United Center, Chicago
- Broadcast: CHSN in Chicago, ESPN+ out of market, WGN-720 AM and the Blackhawks app on radio
- Records: Blackhawks 3-5-0; Stars 3-3-1
- Odds: One listing had Dallas at -191 on the moneyline, with Chicago at +1.5 on the puck line. I couldn’t find a reliable total
What Happened Against Winnipeg
Chicago went up 3-0 in the first period. Bedard scored his first goal of the season on a five-on-three power play at 8:11, Frank Nazar scored unassisted in his first game back from suspension at 15:10, and Ryan Donato scored at 17:11. Then it got choppy. Kyle Connor scored on the power play in the second period, and Alex Iafallo tied it in the third. Neal Pionk had a goal and two assists for Winnipeg.
Spencer Knight made 31 saves, including a sprawling save about a minute before Levshunov’s winner. Patrick Kane had two assists and passed Phil Housley for the most career assists by an American-born player (895). The Sun-Times pointed out something I don’t love: in both wins since Bedard returned, the Hawks blew 3-1 leads before winning. Bedard called the second and third periods “choppy,” and Jeff Blashill said the team needs a better overtime record, after going 4-9 in OT last year.
Chicago’s Lineup and Injury Picture
- Bowen Byram has been day-to-day with an upper-body injury since taking a shot in the Pittsburgh game, and he missed Thursday. Ethan Del Mastro took his place. I couldn’t confirm his status for Saturday, so check the morning skate. Byram leads the team in ice time at 24:42 per game.
- Andrew Mangiapane is on injured reserve.
- Teuvo Teravainen is running the top power-play unit.
Knight is 3-3-0 with a 3.52 goals-against average and an .890 save percentage, and I’d expect him to start, though I haven’t seen it confirmed.
The Stars: Elite Defense, Almost No Scoring
Dallas is 3-3-1 under Glen Gulutzan. The results tell the story: lost 4-0 to St. Louis, lost 2-1 to Nashville, beat San Jose 5-0 and Buffalo 4-0, lost 2-1 in a shootout to Pittsburgh, lost 3-2 to Colorado, then won 3-2 in a shootout against Colorado on Wednesday.
- By the numbers: The Stars rank first in the NHL in goals allowed (1.71 per game) and 30th in goals scored (2.14), per one stats page.
- Goalies: Jake Oettinger is 2-2-1 with a 1.20 GAA and a .944 save percentage. Casey DeSmith is 1-1-0 with a .925. I don’t know who starts tonight.
- Scoring: Mikko Rantanen has seven points (two goals, five assists), Miro Heiskanen has six, and Jason Robertson has five.
- Injuries: Matt Duchene had core surgery and is out about three months. Oskar Back broke a finger on Wednesday and is out 4-6 weeks. Cameron Hughes is also on injured reserve. Wyatt Johnston has missed two games with an illness, and Gulutzan said they could fly him in for Saturday “but we’re not there yet.”
The Matchups I’m Watching
Bedard against Dallas. He has points in seven straight games against the Stars (five goals, two assists). That’s the type of streak that means something, because the Stars are one of the toughest teams in the league to score on.
Kane against Dallas. He has 32 goals in 68 career games against the Stars, more than against any other opponent.
Chicago’s shot volume. The Hawks are 30th in shots per game (21.8) and allow four goals a game. Against a team that doesn’t score much, that math can work if Knight is good. It doesn’t work if he’s at .890.
Special teams. Bedard’s goal came on a five-on-three. Dallas has few goals to spare, so a Hawks power-play goal might decide it.
Leads. Giving up 3-1 and 3-0 leads twice in a week isn’t sustainable against a team that will keep it close and wait for a mistake.
What Actually Decides Tonight
Dallas has been low-event all season: two shutouts, four games decided by one goal. Chicago, by contrast, has been the opposite of low-event. If this turns into a one-goal game, the Hawks have home ice, a power play that just scored on a five-on-three and a centerman who has points in seven straight against Dallas. Last season the Hawks went 2-0-1 against the Stars.
But Dallas has the better goaltending numbers, the better defense and the better record. I think the Stars’ structure gets them through a close one, with an empty-net goal or a late power play deciding it.
My Final Score Prediction: Dallas Stars 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2
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