Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Islanders Final — October 8, 2026
CHIStarting goaliesNYI
CHIOffenseFull 2025-26 regular season (last season)NYICHIDefenseNYICHITeamNYICHI5-on-5NYICHISpecial teamsNYICHIRecent formNYICHIHome and roadseason to dateNYIInjuries & restkey injuries · rest and travel
CHIRest & travelNYICHIKey injuriesNYIAbout these numbers
Goalie status from the G&W goalie tracker (Confirmed, Expected, Likely or Not confirmed); teams confirm starters close to puck drop. Season lines come from the NHL Lab goalie tables. GSAx = goals saved above expected (Gridiron & Wine expected goals). HD Sv% = save rate on high-danger shots.
Full 2025-26 regular season (last season), captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (32 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.
2025-26 regular season, public NHL Lab tables; ranks out of 32 teams. Expected goals are Gridiron & Wine's own expected-goals numbers.
2025-26 regular season. Rates are per 60 minutes of power-play or penalty-kill time.
Regular-season results this season, oldest to newest (OTL = overtime or shootout loss). Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Over–under uses the consensus closing total.
Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.
Key players only. Injury report as of October 8, 6:40 p.m. ET.
The pre-game matchup
The Blackhawks (1-3-0) visited the Islanders (1-2-0) on Thursday, October 8 at 7:40 PM ET.
Last season (2025-26), the Blackhawks scored 2.60 goals per game (31st of 32) and allowed 3.35 (27th). The Islanders scored 2.84 goals per game (24th of 32) and allowed 2.94 (7th). The Blackhawks earned 43.9% of available standings points (31st) and the Islanders 55.5% (19th).
Expected-goals share (5-on-5), the share of 5-on-5 expected goals created: Blackhawks 43.2% (32nd), Islanders 47.9% (24th). Shot-attempt share (5-on-5), the share of all 5-on-5 shot attempts: Blackhawks 45.6% (30th), Islanders 49.0% (18th). High-danger chance share, the share of 5-on-5 high-danger chances: Blackhawks 43.2% (30th), Islanders 45.5% (26th). These are last season's full-season numbers because the new season's sample is still small; rosters change over the offseason.
The total closed 5.5, unchanged from the open. After removing the vig, the closing moneyline (Blackhawks +154, Islanders -190) prices the Blackhawks at 38% and the Islanders at 62%.
Written from the numbers available before kickoff.
Result
Final score and result vs the closing line
Chicago Blackhawks 1, New York Islanders 4
New York Islanders won by 3.
- Against the closing spread (New York Islanders -1.5): New York Islanders covered.
- Combined score 5 vs the closing total of 5.5: Under.
- New York Islanders closed at -190 on the moneyline (a 62% no-vig market-implied chance).
Actual result
New York Islanders 4
Before the game: market and G&W
From open to close the market moved 2 points toward Chicago Blackhawks.
Market numbers are the consensus moneyline with the bookmaker margin removed.
Win probability
Each team's chance of winning through the game, starting from the market's closing price (Chicago Blackhawks 38%, New York Islanders 62%) and moving with every goal, penalty and the clock until the final.
Biggest swings
- 1st 19:01 — New York Islanders goal (0-1)New York Islanders 63% → 78% (+14 pts)
- 2nd 6:44 — New York Islanders goal (0-2)New York Islanders 78% → 90% (+12 pts)
- 2nd 9:38 — New York Islanders goal (0-3)New York Islanders 91% → 97% (+6 pts)
Chance Quality Result
Based on the quality of chances each team created, New York Islanders won 62% of G&W replays (Chicago Blackhawks 38%). The result went to the side that created the better chances.
The Chance Quality Result describes the chances each team created. It is not the official result and never changes it or any record. Expected goals count regulation chances with both goalies in net; empty-net goals are not included. Season xG tables count every game state, empty nets included, so their totals differ.
Game DNA
The Chance Quality Result above favoured New York Islanders. Here is where that came from.
| Blackhawks | Goals | Islanders |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 5-on-5 chancesexpected goals | 1.8 |
| 0.4 | Power-play chancesexpected goals | 0.6 |
| 0.0 | Other situations4-on-4, 3-on-3, short-handed | 0.2 |
| 1.9 | Chance Quality Result chancesthe three rows above, as in the result | 2.6 |
| 0.2 | Overtime and pulled-goalie chancesnot part of the Chance Quality Result | 0.0 |
| 0.1 | Second chancesrebounds and flurries, part of the above | 0.3 |
| -1.1 | Finishinggoals vs expected on own shots | +0.4 |
| -0.4 | Goaltendingsaves vs expected · Arvid Soderblom 15/18 · Ilya Sorokin 22/23 | +1.1 |
| 0 | Empty-net goals | 1 |
How the margin was built, from New York Islanders's side:
The first three rows add up to the Chance Quality Result's expected goals. Overtime chances and chances with a goalie pulled are listed on their own, and empty-net goals are not in expected goals. A team's finishing and the other team's goaltending are the same goals seen from each end.
Line review
New York Islanders closed as the market favourite at 62% and won.
The line moved toward Chicago Blackhawks before puck drop, and they lost.
Market
Closing line and line movement
Blackhawks +1.5 (-143)
Blackhawks +1.5 (-166)
Islanders -202 64%
Islanders -190 62%
Consensus of US sportsbooks. Open = first line after both teams' previous games; Close = consensus at kickoff. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.
Members
G&W Line
G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics
Matchup
Head-to-head
The teams have met 13 times since 2018-19: the Blackhawks won 6 and the Islanders 7.
| Date | Score | Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 2026 | Blackhawks 4, Islanders 3 Blackhawks won | Islanders -170 underdog won | 6 over |
| Dec 30, 2025 | Islanders 3, Blackhawks 2 SO Islanders won | Islanders -140 favorite won | 5.5 under |
| Dec 15, 2024 | Islanders 3, Blackhawks 5 Blackhawks won | Islanders -200 underdog won | 5.5 over |
| Dec 12, 2024 | Blackhawks 4, Islanders 5 Islanders won | Islanders -190 favorite won | 5.5 over |
| Apr 2, 2024 | Blackhawks 1, Islanders 2 Islanders won | Islanders -250 favorite won | 5.5 under |
Regular-season meetings since 2018-19, most recent first. Line = consensus closing moneyline favorite and total where line history is available.
Teams
Chicago Blackhawks
- Chicago Blackhawks team stats
- Los Angeles Kings 1, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (Oct 27)
- Florida Panthers 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (Oct 25)
- Montréal Canadiens 4, Chicago Blackhawks 1 (Oct 23)
New York Islanders
More NHL games on October 8, 2026
- Utah Mammoth 1, Boston Bruins 6 (Oct 8)
- Dallas Stars 4, Buffalo Sabres 0 (Oct 8)
- Vancouver Canucks 2, Carolina Hurricanes 7 (Oct 8)
- Nashville Predators 5, Montréal Canadiens 2 (Oct 8)
- Philadelphia Flyers 1, Ottawa Senators 2 (Oct 8)
- Minnesota Wild 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 3 (Oct 8)
- San Jose Sharks 3, St Louis Blues 2 (Oct 8)
- Colorado Avalanche 7, Calgary Flames 3 (Oct 8)
- Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Vegas Golden Knights 4 (Oct 8)
Dig deeper
Follow the market every day
See every game's current line on the odds board, or check our fully tracked results.
Odds boardTracked results