Our Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Islanders preview covers the odds, puck line, total, start time, TV channel and where to watch on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The Chicago Blackhawks (1-3-0 this season; 29-39-14 in 2025-26) visit the New York Islanders (1-2-0 this season; 43-34-5 in 2025-26) at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. Puck drop is 7:30 PM ET (7:30 PM local). TV: CHSN / MSGSN.
Storyline: Chicago got its first win of the season in Tuesday’s home opener, 4-2 over St. Louis, after three road losses. The Islanders are 1-2-0 after a 5-2 loss at the Rangers on Tuesday, and Ilya Sorokin, who has a .968 save percentage in two starts, is listed by ESPN as the confirmed starter. Chicago forward Teuvo Teravainen is listed as out. The teams split two meetings last season (NHL.com). DraftKings lists the Islanders at -185 and Chicago at +154 on the moneyline, with the total at 5.5.
Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Islanders Odds, Puck Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Chicago Blackhawks @ New York Islanders |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 Records | Chicago Blackhawks 1-3-0 | New York Islanders 1-2-0 |
| 2025-26 Records | Chicago Blackhawks 29-39-14 | New York Islanders 43-34-5 |
| Head Coaches | CHI: Jeff Blashill (2nd season) | NYI: Peter DeBoer (2nd season) |
| Puck Line | CHI +1.5 (-148) | NYI -1.5 (+124) |
| Moneyline | Chicago Blackhawks: +154 | New York Islanders: -185 |
| Total | O/U 5.5 (o-130 / u+110) |
| Venue | UBS Arena (Elmont, N.Y.) |
| Date / Time | Thursday, October 8, 2026 — 7:30 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | CHSN / MSGSN |
| Probable Starting Goalies | CHI: TBD (Spencer Knight / Arvid Soderblom) | NYI: Ilya Sorokin (listed as confirmed by ESPN) |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN), cross-checked on Action Network, as of Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, ~6:19 PM ET. Totals ranged from 5.5 to 6 across books at research time. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. ESPN lists Ilya Sorokin as the Islanders’ confirmed starter; Chicago had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Chicago Blackhawks Preview: First Win in the Home Opener
2025-26 recap: Chicago went 29-39-14 (72 points) and finished last in the Central Division. Connor Bedard led the team with 75 points (30 goals, 45 assists) in 69 games, Tyler Bertuzzi scored a team-high 32 goals and had 58 points, and Frank Nazar had 41 points (NHL.com).
Offseason moves: Patrick Kane, the No. 1 selection by Chicago in the 2007 draft, is back with the Blackhawks after 57 points for Detroit last season. Chicago also added defenseman Bowen Byram (42 points for Buffalo), defenseman Ian Cole from Utah, forwards Jordan Greenway and Cole Smith, and forward Roman Kantserov, who scored 36 goals in the KHL. Ilya Mikheyev now plays for Tampa Bay, Andre Burakovsky for Ottawa and Louis Crevier for Buffalo (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Bertuzzi, Kane, Nazar, Anton Frondell (the No. 3 selection in 2025), Ryan Donato, Oliver Moore, Greenway, Nick Lardis and Kantserov lead the forwards. Alex Vlasic, Byram, Cole, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel and Wyatt Kaiser are on defense. Jeff Blashill is in his second season as coach.
Goalies: Spencer Knight went 19-25-11 with a 2.82 GAA, .902 save percentage and three shutouts in 55 games last season. He has started three of four games, making 32 saves on 36 shots at Vegas, 24 saves on 28 shots at Buffalo and 26 saves on 28 shots against St. Louis on Tuesday. Arvid Soderblom made 26 saves on 32 shots at Utah on Oct. 1. Chicago had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Season so far: Chicago lost 5-2 at Vegas on Sept. 29, was shut out 6-0 at Utah on Oct. 1 and lost 4-3 at Buffalo on Oct. 3 after leading 3-2 late in the second period. On Tuesday, Mason McTavish gave St. Louis a first-period lead, Rinzel (power play) and Frondell scored in the second, and Smith and Nazar added empty-net goals in a 4-2 win. Frondell has four points in four games (NHL.com).
Injuries: Teravainen (undisclosed) is listed as out, and forward Andrew Mangiapane (lower body) is on injured reserve. Bedard (shoulder) is on injured reserve and was on the ice for Monday’s practice, per The Athletic (ESPN).
New York Islanders Preview: Back Home After a Loss to the Rangers
2025-26 recap: The Islanders went 43-34-5 (91 points), finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division and missed the playoffs. Mathew Barzal led the team with 72 points (19 goals, 53 assists), Bo Horvat scored a team-high 31 goals, and Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 selection in the 2025 draft, had 23 goals and 59 points as an 18-year-old defenseman (NHL.com). Peter DeBoer replaced Patrick Roy as coach during the season.
Offseason moves: The Islanders added forward Matias Maccelli (39 points for Toronto last season), defensemen Logan Stanley and Matthew Kessel, and goalie Semyon Varlamov returned to the NHL roster. Forward Anders Lee now plays for Utah, Maxim Shabanov for Minnesota and goalie David Rittich for New Jersey (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Horvat, Brayden Schenn, Kyle Palmieri, Simon Holmstrom, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Emil Heineman, Anthony Duclair, Calum Ritchie, Victor Eklund and Maccelli lead the forwards. Schaefer, Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, Tony DeAngelo and Stanley are on defense. DeBoer is in his second season as coach.
Goalies: Sorokin went 29-24-2 with a 2.68 GAA, .906 save percentage and seven shutouts in 55 games last season. He made 24 saves on 26 shots at Toronto and 37 saves in a shutout of New Jersey. Varlamov started Tuesday at the Rangers and made 19 saves on 22 shots. ESPN lists Sorokin as the confirmed starter for Thursday.
Season so far: Toronto won 2-1 on Sept. 30, with Heineman scoring shorthanded for the Islanders. On Oct. 3, Holmstrom, Schenn, Horvat (power play), Eklund, Ondrej Palat and Casey Cizikas scored in a 6-0 win over New Jersey. At the Rangers on Tuesday, Horvat (power play) and Ritchie scored 1:56 apart in the second period to tie it 2-2, but Oliver Bjorkstrand scored on a power play late in the period and Alexis Lafreniere finished with three goals, two into an empty net, in a 5-2 loss (NHL.com).
Injuries: Defenseman Alexander Romanov is out after right knee surgery, and ESPN lists a return date of April 2027. Barzal (knee) is on injured reserve and might resume skating this weekend or early next week, per Newsday (ESPN).
Key Matchup Notes: Blackhawks vs Islanders
- Schedule spot: Both teams last played Tuesday. Chicago hosts Carolina on Saturday, and the Islanders host Tampa Bay on Saturday.
- Last season: The teams split two meetings. The Islanders won 3-2 in a shootout at Chicago on Dec. 30, 2025, and Chicago won 4-3 at UBS Arena on March 24 (NHL.com).
- Special teams: Chicago has killed 63.6 percent of penalties and is converting 11.1 percent of its power plays. The Islanders are at 18.2 percent on the power play and 83.3 percent on the penalty kill.
- Scoring: Chicago has nine goals in four games and has allowed 17. The Islanders have nine goals in three games, six of them against New Jersey.
- In goal: Knight has an .891 save percentage in three starts. Sorokin has a .968 save percentage in two starts.
- Odds snapshot: The Islanders -185 / Chicago +154 on the moneyline, Islanders -1.5 (+124) on the puck line, total 5.5 (DraftKings).
How to Watch Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Islanders
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
Puck drop: 7:30 PM ET (7:30 PM local)
Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, N.Y.
TV: CHSN carries the game in the Blackhawks’ market, and MSGSN carries it in the Islanders’ market (NHL.com). ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming. No U.S. national TV or Canadian broadcast is listed at research time.
Check the puck line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 8, 2026 puck drop, and look for confirmed starting goalies closer to game time.