Chicago Blackhawks vs Los Angeles Kings 28 October 2026 Prediction

Los Angeles and Chicago sit next to each other near the bottom of the standings. Vancouver remains below both teams in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks will look to use home-ice advantage and avenge their loss in the previous head-to-head meeting.

Chicago Is Back on a Losing Streak

Chicago opened its homestand with two wins in three games. Jeff Blashill’s team lost only to Carolina (2-5), one of the Eastern Conference leaders. The Blackhawks then beat Pittsburgh 5-3 behind two goals from Russian forward Roman Kantserov, who is playing his first NHL season. He did not record a point in the 4-3 overtime win over Winnipeg.

Chicago could not maintain that form and has since lost three straight. The 3-2 defeat to Florida was particularly disappointing, as the Blackhawks allowed the deciding goal with only a few minutes left in the third period. Spencer Knight stopped 90.9% of the shots he faced, but it was not enough to earn a point.

Chicago Predicted Lineup: Knight (Soderblom) — Cole, Vlasic — Kantserov, Bedard, Kane

Full Roster: defensemen — Levshunov, Kaiser, Rinzel, Korchinski; forwards — Bertuzzi, Frondell, Greenway, Teravainen, Nazar, Donato, Smith, Green, Mangiapane

Out: Byram (questionable)

Manager: Jeff Blashill

Los Angeles Fails to Build on Two Wins

Los Angeles has been one of the worst teams in the Western Conference during a poor start to the season. The Kings had to wait more than two weeks for their first win. After six consecutive losses, they defeated Washington 5-2 and the Islanders 3-2 in overtime. Los Angeles was outshot in both games but converted its chances more efficiently.

The Kings could not extend their winning run, losing 3-1 to New Jersey in their next game. The Devils finished with a 3.5-1.5 advantage in expected goals, which was reflected in the final score. Los Angeles scored first but failed to protect the lead.

Los Angeles Predicted Lineup: Kuemper (Forsberg) — Gustafsson, Clarke — Panarin, Laferriere, Kempe

Full Roster: defensemen — Edmundson, Doughty, Anderson, Dumoulin; forwards — Lee, Haula, Chromiak, Moore, Laughton, Armia, Wright, Helenius, Perry

Out: Turcotte, Fiala, Zuccarello (all injured), Byfield (questionable)

Manager: Peter Laviolette

Scoring First Has Been Key

The team that scored first won four of the last five meetings between Chicago and Los Angeles. The Kings recorded a 6-0 shutout in the most recent matchup. Andrei Kuzmenko, who now plays for Pittsburgh, scored one of the goals.

Key Facts

Chicago generates 2.6 expected goals per game. Only two teams have a lower mark.

The Blackhawks have converted just 8.3% of their power-play opportunities, the worst rate in the league.

Only 8.4% of Los Angeles’ shots on goal have resulted in goals, the fourth-lowest rate in the league.

Chicago vs Los Angeles Prediction: Los Angeles to Win

Main prediction: Chicago has struggled at home this season, losing consecutive games to Dallas, Montreal, and Florida. The Blackhawks have also lost their last two home meetings with the Kings. Los Angeles has been more competitive on the road, earning points in four of its last five away games, including wins over Washington and the Islanders. The pick is Los Angeles to win, including overtime and shootout, at 1.83. Predicted score: 3-1.

Totals prediction: Both teams have struggled offensively. Los Angeles has scored 10 regulation goals over its last five games, while Chicago has scored 11 during the same span. Four of the last five head-to-head meetings produced no more than five goals. The pick is under 5.5 goals at 2.07.