Pittsburgh’s power play ranks 9th in the NHL at 23.3 percent, while Florida’s penalty kill ranks 13th at 80.6 percent. That is one number to know before checking the Panthers vs Penguins odds for Thursday, October 22, 2026, when the Florida Panthers (5-2-2 before Wednesday’s game) visit the Pittsburgh Penguins (3-6-1 this season) at PPG Paints Arena. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local) in Pittsburgh, Pa.; TV: SN-PIT / SCRIPPS / Sportsnet / TVA Sports.
Storyline: Florida plays at Ottawa on Wednesday night, Oct. 21, so Thursday’s game is the second night of a back-to-back for the Panthers. Pittsburgh enters Thursday at 3-6-1 after a 5-4 loss at Utah (Oct. 19). Pittsburgh has had two days off since its Oct. 19 game. The goal differentials are far apart: Florida has outscored opponents 30-25 this season, and Pittsburgh has been outscored 38-33; its goals-against average ranks 27th of 32 teams (NHL.com). Pittsburgh won all three meetings last season: 5-3 in Florida on Oct. 23, 2025, 9-4 at home on April 4, 2026 and 5-2 at home on April 5 (NHL.com).
Panthers vs Penguins Odds & Line Movement: Moneyline, Puck Line, Total
| Matchup | Florida Panthers @ Pittsburgh Penguins |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 Records | Florida Panthers 5-2-2 (plays Wednesday, Oct. 21) | Pittsburgh Penguins 3-6-1 |
| 2025-26 Records | Florida Panthers 40-38-4 | Pittsburgh Penguins 41-25-16 |
| Head Coaches | FLA: Paul Maurice (5th season) | PIT: Dan Muse (2nd season) |
| Puck Line | FLA +1.5 (-250) | PIT -1.5 (+205) |
| Moneyline | Florida Panthers: -105 | Pittsburgh Penguins: -115 |
| Total | O/U 6.5 (o-122 / u+102) |
| Opening Line (DraftKings) | FLA -108 / PIT -112 | total 6.5 |
| Venue | PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, Pa.) |
| Date / Time | Thursday, October 22, 2026 — 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local) |
| TV / How to Watch | SN-PIT / SCRIPPS / Sportsnet / TVA Sports |
| Probable Starting Goalies | FLA: Cooper Black (probable, per ESPN; not confirmed); Florida plays at Ottawa Wednesday | PIT: Sergei Murashov (probable, per ESPN; not confirmed) |
Panthers vs Penguins odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, ~1:43 PM ET. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. ESPN lists Cooper Black (Florida) and Sergei Murashov (Pittsburgh) as probable starters, not yet confirmed at research time.
In the Panthers vs Penguins odds market, on the moneyline, Pittsburgh opened at -112 and Florida at -108 at DraftKings; Pittsburgh has moved from -112 to -115 and Florida has moved from -108 to -105 as of Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, ~1:43 PM ET. The total has held at 6.5 (over -122, under +102) since it opened. On the puck line, Pittsburgh -1.5 is at +205, the same price it opened at. Opening prices are the first numbers DraftKings posted, per ESPN.
Panthers vs Penguins Head-to-Head
2025-26 series: Pittsburgh won all three meetings last season: 5-3 in Florida on Oct. 23, 2025, 9-4 at home on April 4, 2026 and 5-2 at home on April 5 (NHL.com). The three games produced 28 total goals, an average of 9.3 per game.
2026-27 schedule: Thursday’s game is meeting one of three between the teams this season (NHL.com). Past meetings are history only; the current Panthers vs Penguins odds are in the table above.
Pittsburgh Penguins Preview: Karlsson Leads a 3-6-1 Start
2025-26 recap: Pittsburgh went 41-25-16 (98 points), finished second in the Metropolitan Division and made the playoffs for the first time since 2022 before losing to Philadelphia in six games in the first round. The Penguins scored 3.54 goals per game, third in the NHL (NHL.com). Captain Sidney Crosby led the team with 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) in 68 games, and Dan Muse was a Jack Adams Award finalist in his first season.
Offseason moves: Evgeni Malkin signed a one-year contract to return for a 21st season. Pittsburgh signed forward Andrei Kuzmenko and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, acquired forward Nick Robertson from Toronto and acquired defenseman Kaedan Korczak from Vegas. Anthony Mantha (33 goals) signed with New Jersey, and Stuart Skinner signed with Winnipeg (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Crosby, Malkin, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak and Robertson lead the forwards. Erik Karlsson (66 points last season), Kris Letang, Samuel Girard, Declan Carlile and Korczak are on defense. Muse is in his second season as coach.
Season so far: Pittsburgh is 3-6-1 through 10 games, with 33 goals scored and 38 allowed. Results: a 7-0 win at Philadelphia (Sept. 30), a 6-5 overtime win over Montreal (Oct. 3), a 3-2 loss to Winnipeg (Oct. 5), a 5-3 loss at Washington (Oct. 7), a 3-2 shootout loss at Columbus (Oct. 9), a 2-1 shootout win over Dallas (Oct. 10), a 5-3 loss at Chicago (Oct. 13), a 5-2 loss at Colorado (Oct. 16), a 6-2 loss at Vegas (Oct. 17) and a 5-4 loss at Utah (Oct. 19). Erik Karlsson has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists), and Tommy Novak has eight points (three goals, five assists) (NHL.com).
Catch up on Pittsburgh’s previous game with our Penguins vs Mammoth preview from Oct. 19.
Pittsburgh Penguins Injury Report
Injury news can move the Panthers vs Penguins odds before puck drop. Ben Kindel (undisclosed) is listed as out; Bryan Rust (lower body) and Samuel Girard (undisclosed) are day to day; Trevor van Riemsdyk (lower body), Justin Brazeau (lower body) and Ryan Graves (knee) are on injured reserve (ESPN).
Florida Panthers Preview: Second Night of a Back-to-Back
2025-26 recap: Florida went 40-38-4 (84 points), finished seventh in the Atlantic Division and missed the playoffs one year after winning a second straight Stanley Cup. Barkov missed the entire season. Sam Reinhart led the team with 61 points (29 goals, 32 assists) in 64 games, Sam Bennett had 58 points, Carter Verhaeghe had 55 and Brad Marchand scored 27 goals in 52 games (NHL.com).
Offseason moves: Florida acquired forward Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa on June 21 to join his brother Matthew. He had 59 points in 60 games last season. The Panthers also added goalies Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey) and Akira Schmid (Vegas), forwards Lars Eller and Garnet Hathaway, and defenseman Radko Gudas. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky now plays for Toronto, Daniil Tarasov for Detroit and Mackie Samoskevich for Seattle (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Reinhart, Bennett, Verhaeghe, the Tkachuk brothers, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Eller lead the forwards. Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones, Niko Mikkola, Gudas and Dmitry Kulikov are on defense. Paul Maurice is in his fifth season as coach.
Season so far: Before Wednesday’s game, Florida was 5-2-2 through nine games, with 30 goals scored and 25 allowed. Results: a 1-0 overtime win at Carolina (Sept. 29), a 4-3 overtime loss at San Jose (Oct. 1), a 3-2 overtime loss at Anaheim (Oct. 4), a 2-1 win at Los Angeles (Oct. 6), a 4-1 loss to Minnesota (Oct. 10), a 5-3 loss at Buffalo (Oct. 12), a 7-3 win at Columbus (Oct. 13), a 3-2 overtime win over Vancouver (Oct. 15) and an 8-3 win over Seattle (Oct. 17). Matthew Tkachuk has 14 points (three goals, 11 assists), and Brady Tkachuk has 10 points (six goals, four assists) (NHL.com).
Second night of a back-to-back: Florida visits the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, Oct. 21 (7:30 p.m. ET), so Thursday’s game is the second half of a back-to-back.
Catch up on Florida’s previous game with our Panthers vs Senators preview from Oct. 21.
Florida Panthers Injury Report
Any late change on this list can also shift the Panthers vs Penguins odds. Jacob Markstrom (upper body), Brad Marchand (leg), Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and Jonah Gadjovich (upper body surgery) are on injured reserve (ESPN).
Goalie Matchup: Black vs Murashov
The goalie matchup is one of the biggest inputs in the Panthers vs Penguins odds. ESPN lists Cooper Black (Florida) and Sergei Murashov (Pittsburgh) as probable starters, not yet confirmed at research time. Here is how each team’s goalies have performed so far in 2026-27 (NHL.com).
Pittsburgh Penguins Goalies
Arturs Silovs has started six games and is 3-3-0 with an .866 save percentage (136 saves on 157 shots). Most recently, he made 24 saves on 29 shots in a 5-4 loss at Utah (Oct. 19). Sergei Murashov has started four games and is 0-3-1 with an .883 save percentage (106 saves on 120 shots). Most recently, he made 14 saves on 19 shots in a 6-2 loss at Vegas (Oct. 17). ESPN lists Sergei Murashov as the probable starter for Thursday (not confirmed at research time).
Florida Panthers Goalies
Entering Wednesday’s game, Jacob Markstrom had started six games and was 3-1-1 with an .897 save percentage (105 saves on 117 shots). Most recently, he made 20 saves on 23 shots in an 8-3 win over Seattle (Oct. 17). Akira Schmid had started three games and was 2-1-1 with an .878 save percentage (86 saves on 98 shots, including relief). Most recently, he made 16 saves on 18 shots in a 3-2 overtime win over Vancouver (Oct. 15). ESPN lists Cooper Black as the probable starter for Thursday (not confirmed at research time). Florida plays at Ottawa on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET), the night before this game.
Panthers vs Penguins Odds: Key Betting Trends
Here is the season data behind the Panthers vs Penguins odds. The figures below are straight season data through games before Thursday, from NHL.com, with over/under counts measured against DraftKings closing totals via ESPN.
- Panthers home/road: Before Wednesday’s game, Florida is 2-1-0 at home and 3-1-2 on the road (NHL.com).
- Panthers recent form: Florida is 3-2-0 in its last five games, with 22 goals scored and 17 allowed in that stretch (NHL.com).
- Panthers totals: Florida’s games have gone over the DraftKings closing total four times and under five times in nine games with a posted total, averaging 6.1 combined goals per game (DraftKings via ESPN; NHL.com).
- Panthers special teams: Florida’s power play is converting 20.9 percent (17th in the NHL), and its penalty kill is at 80.6 percent (13th) (NHL.com).
- Panthers scoring: Florida has scored 30 goals and allowed 25 in 9 games (3.33 goals per game) before Wednesday (NHL.com).
- Penguins home/road: Pittsburgh is 2-1-0 at home and 1-5-1 on the road (NHL.com).
- Penguins recent form: Pittsburgh is 1-4-0 in its last five games, with 13 goals scored and 22 allowed in that stretch (NHL.com).
- Penguins totals: Pittsburgh’s games have gone over the DraftKings closing total seven times and under three times in 10 games with a posted total, averaging 7.1 combined goals per game (DraftKings via ESPN; NHL.com).
- Penguins special teams: Pittsburgh’s power play is converting 23.3 percent (9th in the NHL), and its penalty kill is at 80.8 percent (12th) (NHL.com).
- Penguins scoring: Pittsburgh has scored 33 goals and allowed 38 in 10 games (3.3 goals per game) (NHL.com).
- Combined totals: Across both teams, games have gone over the DraftKings closing total 11 times and under eight times in 19 games with a posted total, against a 6.5 total for this game (DraftKings via ESPN).
How to Watch Panthers vs Penguins
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Puck drop: 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local)
Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pa.
TV: In the U.S., SportsNet Pittsburgh (SN-PIT) carries it in the Penguins’ market and Scripps Sports (SCRIPPS) carries it in the Panthers’ market (NHL.com). In Canada, Sportsnet and TVA Sports carry it (NHL.com). ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming. No U.S. national TV broadcast is listed at research time.
Schedule spot: Florida plays at Ottawa on Wednesday, so Thursday is the second night of a back-to-back for the Panthers. Pittsburgh last played on Oct. 19 (2 days off before Thursday) and hosts Nashville on Oct. 24.
Live stats, lineups and the box score will be on the Panthers vs Penguins gamecenter on NHL.com, and the official Pittsburgh Penguins site posts team news and lineup notes.
New to hockey odds? Our NHL odds guide explains how the moneyline, puck line and total work, and the Cappers Direct free content hub collects our free daily breakdowns.
Find the rest of Thursday’s slate on our NHL previews and odds page, and see Cappers Direct Premium subscriptions with NHL packages for full handicapper analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions: Panthers vs Penguins
What time is Panthers vs Penguins on October 22, 2026?
Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local) on Thursday, October 22, 2026 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Panthers vs Penguins odds in this preview were last updated on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026.
What channel is Panthers vs Penguins on?
In the U.S., SportsNet Pittsburgh (SN-PIT) carries it in the Penguins’ market and Scripps Sports (SCRIPPS) carries it in the Panthers’ market (NHL.com). In Canada, Sportsnet and TVA Sports carry it (NHL.com). ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming. No U.S. national TV broadcast is listed at research time.
What are the Panthers vs Penguins odds and puck line?
For the Panthers vs Penguins odds, DraftKings lists Florida +1.5 (-250) and Pittsburgh -1.5 (+205) on the puck line as of Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, ~1:43 PM ET. The moneyline is Florida Panthers -105 and Pittsburgh Penguins -115, and the total is 6.5.
Who is starting in goal for Panthers vs Penguins?
ESPN lists Cooper Black (Florida) and Sergei Murashov (Pittsburgh) as probable starters, not yet confirmed at research time.