NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2026
Recapping the New Year’s Day games, injury updates, and the three stars and Rookie of the Month for December are revealed in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Auston Matthews tallied his 14th career NHL regular-season hat trick to rally the Toronto Maple Leafs from a 4-1 deficit to a 6-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Matthews’ third goal snapped a 5-5 tie in the third period, and he also collected an assist for the 19-15-6 Maple Leafs, who’ve won four of their last five games. Mark Scheifele scored two goals and picked up an assist for the Jets (15-20-4) as their winless skid reached eight games (0-5-3).
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 419 NHL career regular-season goals, Matthews needs one more to tie Mats Sundin for the franchise goals record. The Maple Leafs replaced goaltender Joseph Woll with Dennis Hildeby after Woll gave up 4 goals on 17 shots. Since Nov. 11, the Jets have won only six times in their last 24 games.
Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther collected his first NHL hat trick and picked up an assist as his club thumped the New York Islanders 7-2. Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and Mikhail Sergachev each had three-point performances as the Mammoth improved to 19-19-3. Calum Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer replied for the 22-15-4 Islanders.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Bo Horvat left this game in the third period with a lower-body injury. He will see a doctor on Friday. Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped 20 shots for the win as he returned to action after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang celebrated his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game by scoring in overtime in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Sidney Crosby scored twice and collected an assist for the 18-12-9 Penguins, who have won three straight games. James van Riemsdyk, Andrew Copp, and Alex DeBrincat scored for the Red Wings (24-14-4), who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 52 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson had two assists to reach 900 career NHL regular-season points. The last time the Red Wings were in first place in the Eastern Conference at this stage or later in the season was Feb. 7, 2015.
The Montreal Canadiens picked up their first win in Carolina since 2016 by defeating the Hurricanes 7-5. Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, and Sammy Blais each had a goal and an assist, and Cole Caufield sniped his 20th goal of the season for the Canadiens (22-12-6) as they extended their points streak to seven games (5-0-2). Sebastian Aho had two goals and three assists for the 24-13-3 Hurricanes, who slipped out of first place in the Eastern Conference but hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson missed this game with an upper-body injury, while winger Josh Anderson left in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov collected two assists to become the first rookie to reach 35 points this season.
Three unanswered third-period goals by Anthony Cirelli, Gage Goncalves, and Nikita Kucherov lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Kucherov finished with three points, and Brandon Hagel scored twice for the 24-13-3 Lightning, who extended their win streak to six games. Corey Perry picked up three assists for the Kings (16-14-9), who have only two wins in their last 10 contests.
The Ottawa Senators overcame a 2-0 deficit to nip the Washington Capitals 4-3. Fabian Zetterlund snapped a 3-3 tie late in the third period while Tim Stutzle collected an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games for the 19-15-1 Senators, ending their three-game winless skid. Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (21-15-5), who have only two wins in their last seven games (2-4-1).
Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev tallied twice in a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Spencer Knight stopped 22 shots while Ryan Donato and Andre Burakovsky each had two assists for the 15-18-7 Blackhawks. Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, and Matt Duchene each had a goal and an assist for the slumping Stars (25-9-7), who are winless in their last four games (0-2-2).
Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers scored two goals in a 4-1 victory against the Nashville Predators. Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves for the Kraken (17-14-7), who are 5-0-1 in their last six contests. Roman Josi replied for the 18-18-4 Predators.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini are the league’s three stars for December 2025. Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov was the Rookie of the Month.
THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forwards Conor Garland and Marco Rossi have been sidelined for at least a week due to injuries.
DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry is out until at least mid-January with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Miles Wood is week-to-week with a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta and Gavin Brindley are day-to-day with injuries.
If you look at the league standings as a whole, it’s a pretty good bet that the top 5 consensus 2026 draft picks (McKenna, Stenberg, Verhoeff, Belchatz, Roobroeck) could be heading to the Western Conference – unless some startling surges are made over the 2nd half by those Western bottom feeders. As of this morning, 9 of them are Western Conference with Columbus the lone Eastern Conference team – and right now they’re in the 7th pick spot. The others, in order, are: 1st Winnipeg, 2nd Vancouver, 3rd Chicago, 4th St. Louis, 5th Nashville, 6th Calgary.
That will likely change – and maybe even drastically – as the season progresses. From the 17th place Leafs (44 pts) down to 32nd and last-place Winnipeg – 16 teams constituting half the league (10 West – 6 East) – there is only a gap of 10 points – and the Jets have 1 in hand.
The old saying “you snooze – you lose” was never more appropriate than it could be this season.
Over the past 10 gp for each team
the hottest
East
Buffalo 10-0-0 20
Detroit 7-2-1 15
Tampa 7-2-1 15
Montreal 6-1-3 15
Florida 6-3-1 13
Ottawa 6-3-1 13
West
Colorado 9-0-1 19
Minnesota 7-1-2 16
Calgary 7-3-0 14
Edmonton 6-4-0 12
Nashville 6-4-0 12
San Jose 6-4-0 12
Coldest
East
Washington 3-6-1 7
Boston 3-5-2 8
Columbus 4-6-0 8
New Jersey 4-5-1 9
NYR 4-5-1 9
West
Winnipeg 1-6-3 5
Chicago 2-7-1 5
L.A. 2-6-2 6
Anaheim 2-6-2 6
Vegas 3-4-3 9
St.Louis 4-5-1 9
George O, normally not big on stats as the most significant thing ; however, like your stats today. Good perspective of how difficult for some teams to make it; especially in the east. I feel like it shows how I felt about who is headed in the right direction in the east. I have questions about Edmonton and Calgary in the west; in other words, they are confusing teams to me. Edmonton look like world beaters, then look horrible on defense and in goal. Interesting stats, thanks!!!
Hey George it’s crazy all the hottest teams in the east are in the Atlantic division.
My leafs are starting to play better but are not gaining anything luckily there is half a season left.
Going to be tough to make it this year for both are teams. So many teams to jump past.
I noticed the same thing, MOT. Still find the Avalanche record ridiculous. Makes me think of Boston a couple of years ago when no one could beat them.
As Leaf fans know, though, the playoffs are a different animal.
Hoo boy, Manontv, it’s going to be a real dogfight in the Eastern Conference – and especially the Atlantic Division – from here to the end. As I indicate above, no team can afford to go into a lengthy “snoozefest” – and by “lengthy” I mean just 3 or 4 losses in a row.
The Leafs, currently 11th, are just 3 pts b/o 7th-place Washington in the first WC slot, and have a game in hand, and although 8 b/o 1st-place Detroit, have 2 in hand on them.
Ottawa, currently 14th, are 4 pts b/o Washington with 2 in hand and 9 behind Detroit, but have 3 in hand on them.
All our 2 teams have to do is win those. Cinch – LOL.
A team like Boston should get out ahead of the trade deadline. There are plenty of teams begging for a playoff spot to trade with.How many teams are really cup contenders?
Maybe you only need to look at the Covid season surprise playoff team, your 😉 beloved Habs.
I think that team was the epitome of anything can happen once your in, even if during most of the season being hot garbage.
Hot garbage, no need to insult the leafs like that Ron.
Ron, I don’t think Sr – a Bruins fan – would put “the Habs” and “beloved” together! 🙂 Or was that sarcasm? lol
Sr
I believe the bruins need to move what they can no matter where they are in standings. Currently not enough horses to win 4 rounds in playoffs
GeorgeO, I really enjoy the give and take amongst hockey fans in this column.RM that Covid season was a shortened abbreviated season where the unimaginable had a chance to happen. Even as a Boston fan I have a passion for hockey at all levels and I have had a chance to coach several people in the NHL level as players,coaches,and player agents.
I know its close but it feels good in Montreal as the Habs still haven’t reached their potential.
Aside from the number of injuries and the plug and play filling seamlessly with no drop off, the team is right up there.
All of it with unusually porous goaltending, something the team has always relied on.
The injuries, many teams are dealing with that situation, so no big deal really but the goaltending is.
It was the play of Montembeault and Dobes after 4 nations that carried them and it has been brutal this season. Despite it they keep winning, once they turn the corner…..
An NHL Fan’s Cynical Look At Potential Olympic Games Injuries To De-Rail Playoff Hopes
It’s almost a guarantee that some will return nursing something, so keep your fingers crossed that, if they do occur, they’re not of the serious kind – especially if you’re a fan of one of the most-represented where the odds are increased
9 – Tampa, Florida
8 – Colorado, Minnesota, New Jersey
6 – Boston, Dallas, Vegas
5 – L.A., Ottawa
4 – Anaheim, Carolina, Montreal, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Winnipeg
3 – Buffalo, Detroit, NYR, Philadelphia, Seattle, Toronto, Washington, St. Louis
2 – Calgary, Columbus, Edmonton, San Jose, Utah
1 – Chicago, NYI
https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/olympics/nhl-players-on-rosters-for-2026-winter-olympics