Photo: Caleb Bowlin / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Chicago Blackhawks (1-3) bring a three-game road losing streak into a matchup against the New York Islanders (1-2) on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
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Here is our pick for who will clinch the victory in Thursday's game.
Blackhawks vs. Islanders Predictions for Thursday
Our computer model for this matchup expects a final tally of Islanders 4, Blackhawks 1.
- Moneyline Pick: Islanders (-188)
- Total Pick: Over 5.5 (computer predicts 5.9 goals on average)
- Spread Pick: Islanders (-1.5)
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Islanders Splits and Trends
- The Islanders (43-34-5 overall) had a 14-5-19 record last season in contests that went to overtime.
- New York picked up 46 points (23-11-0) in the 34 games it played that were decided by one goal.
- Looking at the 15 times last season the Islanders ended a game with just one goal, they had a 2-12-1 record, picking up five points.
- New York finished 9-11-1 in the 21 games last season when it scored exactly two goals (registering 19 points).
- The Islanders scored more than two goals in 43 games (31-9-3, 65 points).
- In the 24 games when New York scored a lone power-play goal, it went 15-7-2 to register 32 points.
- In the 38 games when it outshot its opponent, New York was 14-20-4 (32 points).
- The Islanders were outshot by their opponent 39 times, and went 26-13-0 (52 points).
Blackhawks Splits and Trends
- The Blackhawks had a 29-39-14 record last season, and were 7-14-21 in contests that required overtime.
- Chicago accumulated 29 points (10-8-9) in its 27 games that finished with a one-goal margin.
- Last season the Blackhawks recorded just one goal in 16 games, and they finished 0-15-1.
- When Chicago scored two goals last season, they amassed 15 points (5-11-5 record).
- The Blackhawks scored at least three goals 40 times, accumulating 56 points (24-8-8).
- Last season Chicago scored a lone power-play goal in 30 games and registered 33 points, with a record of 14-11-5.
- When outshooting its opponent last season, Chicago was 12-10-4 (28 points).
- The Blackhawks were outshot by their opponents 53 times last season, and took 44 points from those games.
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Team Stats Comparison (2025-26)
| Islanders Rank | Islanders AVG | Blackhawks AVG | Blackhawks Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 2.79 | Goals Scored | 2.56 | 30th |
| 5th | 2.88 | Goals Allowed | 3.29 | 27th |
| 11th | 28.1 | Shots | 24.5 | 32nd |
| 14th | 27.6 | Shots Allowed | 29.9 | 31st |
| 30th | 16.53% | Power Play % | 16.95% | 29th |
| 10th | 80.84% | Penalty Kill % | 83.54% | 2nd |
Blackhawks vs. Islanders Game Time and TV Channel
- When: Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Where: UBS Arena in Elmont, New York
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