NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 1, 2026
Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scores his 40th goal of the season, Predators captain Roman Josi reaches a goal-scoring milestone, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson collects his 700th assist, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines
NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon became the first player to reach 40 goals this season as his club blanked the Detroit Red Wings 5-0. MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist while Mackenzie Blackwood turned in a 28-save shutout for the league-leading Avalanche (36-8-9), becoming the first team to reach 80 points this season (81). Detroit goalie John Gibson allowed four goals on 17 shots before being relieved by Cam Talbot after the second period. The 32-18-6 Red Wings have one win in their last five games (1-2-2).
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche winger Martin Necas missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Long-time Red Wings radio analyst Paul Woods confirmed he will be retiring at the end of this season after 40 years behind the mike.
Nashville Predators’ captain Roman Josi’s 200th career NHL regular-season goal was the game-winner in a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders. Josi snapped a 3-3 tie with 1:14 remaining in the third period for the 25-23-6 Predators, who also got two goals from Filip Forsberg. Ilya Sorokin stopped 38 shots, Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist, and rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer scored his 15th goal of the season for the 30-20-5 Islanders.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg missed this game with an illness. Islanders rookie center Calum Ritchie is out until after the Olympic break with a lower-body injury.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson collected an assist to reach 700 career regular-season assists as his club held off the New York Rangers 6-5. Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari each had two goals for the 28-14-11 Penguins, who picked up their sixth straight win. Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck each had three points for the Rangers (22-28-6), who have lost six of their last seven games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins held a pregame ceremony honoring their 2015-16 Stanley Cup championship team, moving Penguins captain Sidney Crosby to tears.
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang missed this game and will be sidelined for four weeks with a fractured foot. Earlier in the day, the Rangers claimed defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers from the San Jose Sharks.
Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark returned to action with a 26-save performance in a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists as his club picked up their third straight win and improved to 26-21-7. Timo Meier replied for the Devils (28-25-2), who are 1-3-0 in their last four contests.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Ullmark’s first game since taking a leave of absence in late December for mental health reasons. He was mobbed by his teammates at the final horn and named the game’s first star. Teammate Thomas Chabot left this game early for precautionary reasons. Meanwhile, Devils center Jack Hughes missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
An overtime goal by Justin Sourdif lifted the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 comeback win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Capitals (27-22-7) overcame a 3-0 deficit with Jakob Chychrun and Aliaksei Protas each collecting two points, and call-up goalie Clay Stevenson making 22 saves for his first career NHL win. Frederik Andersen made 38 saves for the 33-15-6 Hurricanes, who hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 72 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Capitals announced forward Connor McMichael is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren (lower-body) is on injured reserve. Goalie Logan Thompson and defenseman Matt Roy are listed as day-to-day.
Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored the tying and winning goals in the third period as his club doubled up the Buffalo Sabres 4-2. Caufield finished with three points, and goalie Jakub Dobes kicked out 36 shots for the 31-17-7 Canadiens, who extended their win streak to three games. Owen Power and Noah Ostlund replied for the Sabres (31-18-5) as their five-game win streak ended.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Alexandre Texier missed this game with a lower-body injury.
Before the game, the league announced that former Canadiens forward Chuck Lefley had passed away at the age of 76. Lefley spent nine seasons in the NHL with the Canadiens and St. Louis Blues from 1970-71 to 1980-81. He won two Stanley Cups with the Canadiens and tallied a career-best 43 goals and 42 assists for 85 points with the Blues in 1975-76. In 407 regular-season games, Lefley had 128 goals and 164 assists for 292 points, and 13 points in 29 playoff games.
My condolences to Lefley’s family, friends, and former teammates.
The Seattle Kraken nipped the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2. Kaapo Kakko snapped a 2-2 tie early in the third period, Chandler Stephenson collected two assists, and Joey Daccord turned aside 27 shots for the 26-19-9 Kraken, who picked up their fourth straight victory. Jack Eichel assisted on both goals for the Golden Knights (25-15-14), who cling to first place in the Pacific Division with 64 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken forward Berkly Catton will be sidelined until after the upcoming Olympic break with an upper-body injury suffered during Thursday’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
An overtime goal by Quinton Byfield gave the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Adrian Kempe tallied twice and picked up an assist for the 23-17-13 Kings. Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist for the Flyers (24-20-10), who are 0-3-1 in their last four games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings captain Anze Kopitar returned to action after being sidelined since Jan. 5 with a lower-body injury. They placed forward Alex Turcotte (upper body) on injured reserve.
The Calgary Flames snapped a five-game winless skid by defeating the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Morgan Frost had a goal and an assist, and Dustin Wolf stopped 23 shots for the 22-26-6 Flames. Alex Nedeljkovic kicked out 39 shots for the Sharks (27-22-4).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks activated forward Philipp Kurashev and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin off injured reserve for this game.
Meanwhile, the Flames recalled rookie defenseman Zayne Parekh after his conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate. Though he didn’t play in this game, Parekh said his time in the AHL helped improve his confidence. He also enjoyed his time with Team Canada in the 2026 World Juniors, saying it reignited his love of the game.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander returned to action and scored the winning goal in a 3-2 shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks. Joseph Woll stopped 28 shots for the Maple Leafs (25-21-9), snapping a six-game winless skid (0-5-1). Nikita Tolopilo turned aside 39 shots for the 18-31-6 Canucks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly left this game after the second period with an upper-body injury.
The Columbus Blue Jackets extended their win streak to five games by defeating the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist, and Jet Greaves made 28 saves for the 27-20-7 Blues Jackets. Jimmy Snuggerud and Jonatan Berggren each had a goal and an assist for the Blues (20-26-9), who are 1-5-1 in their last seven games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues center Robert Thomas missed this game as he underwent a minor surgical procedure on one of his legs and is sidelined until after the Olympic break. The Blues activated center Pius Suter off injured reserve after he missed 15 games with an injured ankle.
Third-period goals by Cole Perfetti and Mark Scheifele lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Eric Comrie made 27 saves for the Jets (22-25-7). Eetu Luostarinen replied for the 28-23-3 Panthers, who dropped their third straight game.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Brad Marchand missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. He’s unlikely to return to action before the upcoming Olympic break.
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt kicked out 39 shots as his club downed the Edmonton Oilers 7-3. Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber, Mats Zuccarello, and Joel Eriksson Ek each had a goal and an assist for the 32-14-10 Wild, who picked up their third straight win. Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jack Roslovic replied for the Oilers (28-20-8), as their three-game win streak ended.
The Dallas Stars nipped the Utah Mammoth 3-2. Matt Duchene scored to extend his goal streak to four games, and Jamie Benn collected two assists for the 32-14-9 Stars, who have won four straight games. Kailer Yamamoto tallied both goals for the Mammoth (28-23-4).
Following yesterday’s flurry of games involving 28 of the 32 teams, positions have been altered, with these teams in each Conference holding playoff spots and those hoping to overtake them – showing GP, each team’s record over their past 10 games, seasonal % pace and $ pace over those 10 games – starting with the East:
Playoff Spot Holders
1. Tampa 52 8-1-1 17 pts .692 – .850 – up .158
2. Carolina 54 6-1-3 15 pts .667 – .750 – up .083
3. Detroit 56 5-3-2 12 pts .625 – .600 – down .025
4. Montreal 55 6-3-1 13 pts .627 – .650 – up .023
5. Pittsburgh 53 7-1-2 16 pts .632 – .800 – up .198
6. Buffalo 54 7-2-1 15 pts .620 – .750 – up .130
7. Boston 55 8-1-1 17 pts .609 – .850 – up .241
8. NYI 55 5-5-0 10 pts .591 – .500 – down .091
Those Chasing Them
9. Columbus 54 9-1-0 19 pts .565 – .950 – up .385
10. Wash 56 4-5-1 9 pts .545 – .450 – down .095
11. Florida 54 5-5-0 10 pts .546 – .500 – down .046
12. Ottawa 54 6-2-2 14 pts .546 – .700 – up .154
13. Toronto 55 2-6-2 6 pts .536 – .300 – down .236
14. Philadelphia 54 2-6-2 .537 – .300 – down .237
15. N.J. 55 6-4-0 12 pts – .527 – .625 – up .098
16. NYR 56 2-8-0 4 pts – .446 – .200 – down .246
Unless some wheels start falling off over the remaining 26 to 30 games left among those top 8 – with only Detroit and NYI showing very minor drops in % pace over their past 10 – I just don’t see any of the chasers, 5 of which reflect downward trends over their past 10, getting in. Although Columbus and Ottawa may make it close if they can maintain their past 10 trends.
I am afraid that this is the start of Detroit’s historical “stinky stretch”.
Nah Johnny Z. They may have stumbled a bit lately, but that’s still a .600 % pace over their past 10 during which they outscored the opposition 27 – 25 despite being shut out twice against Colorado and Boston.
It would be the mother of meltdowns if the Red Wings fall out of contention this season. It would make their stumbles of the last two seasons pale in comparison. But I don’t see that happening. Even if they struggle down the stretch, they’ve banked enough points to clinch.
Well, they definitely will slip out of any home-town advantage. Y needs another player very soon to spurr this team!
Johnny z – with 3/4 of the season completed, the % pace developed over that time-frame is unlikely to change to any significant degree – unless disaster strikes.
At their current % pace, the top 8 teams in the East will finish at or very close to these totals:
1. Tampa – 60 points left – 114
2. Carolina – 56 points left – 109
3. Pittsburgh – 58 points left – 104
4. Detroit – 52 points left – 103
5. Montreal – 54 points left – 103
6. Buffalo – 56 points left – 102
7. Boston – 54 points left – 100
8. NYI – 54 points left – 97
Now, that’s a potentially tight grouping finish from 3 to 7 and, of course, running into a goalie and/or skater having a hot night – or perhaps own players suffering brain farts/taking stupid penalties – or a key injury or two – could alter the final positions. But each should nevertheless make it ok.
Those trying to crack the top 8 will likely finish at or close to these totals:
Columbus – 56 points left – 93
Ottawa – 56 points left – 90
Florida – 56 points left – 90
Washington – 52 points left – 89
Toronto – 54 points left – 88
Philadelphia – 56 points left – 88
New Jersey – 54 points left – 87
NY Rangers – 52 points left – 73
In order for, say, Columbus to overtake the Islanders for the 8th spot, the latter would have to play their remaining games at .540 – down from their current .591 – while the Blue Jackets would need to raise theirs from their current .565 to .630.
And it gets exponentially more difficult for the teams now below Columbus.
That’s why they play the games.
You bite your tongue Johnny Z.
Here is the similar situation in the Western Conference
Playoff Spot Holders
1. Colorado 53 4-4-2 10 pts .764 – .500 – down .264
2. Minn 56 6-3-1 13 pts .661 – .627 – down .034
3. Dallas 55 6-4-0 12 pts .664 – .527 – down .137
4. Vegas 54 4-4-2 10 pts .593 – .500 – down .093
5. Edm 56 5-4-1 11 pts .571 – .550 – down .021
6. Seattle 54 5-4-1 11 pts .565 – .550 – down .015
7. Utah 55 6-3-1 13 pts .545 – .627 – up .082
8. L.A. 53 5-2-3 13 pts .557 – .627 – up .070
Those Chasing Them
9. Anaheim 54 7-3-0 14 pts .546 – .700 – up .154
10. San Jose 53 5-4-1 11 pts .547 – .550 – up .003
11. Nashville 54 5-3-2 12 pts .519 – .625 – up .106
12. Winnipeg 54 5-3-2 12 pts .472 – .625 – up .153
13. Chicago 55 2-6-2 6 pts .464 – .300 – down .164
14. Calgary 54 4-4-2 10 pts .463 – .500 – up .037
15. St. L 55 3-6-1 7 pts – .445 – .350 – down .095
16. Van 55 2-7-1 5 pts – .382 – .250 – down .132
Interestingly, the top 5 teams are reflecting downward trends over their past 10 … but with those teams heavily represented at the Olympics … and considering the massive leads they had built up prior to the past 10 … I suppose that’s to be expected. Again, unless some wheels pop off, I don’t see any of the top 5 as in any danger of falling out. The other 3, however, could falter down the stretch, with Anaheim, Nashville and even Winnipeg making it interesting.
The reason I mentioned the Olympics above is that that prestigious tournament could be uppermost on the minds of those players from the top teams – being careful to avoid injury – rather than the tasks at hand … it’s only human nature I guess.
But if all players are not concentrating 100% on their league games, that can lead to losing streaks.
What a game last night between two of the leagues best young teams, the Habs and the Sabres. Amazing fast paced back and forth action, with standout goaltending as well. Hockey the way it should be played. Cole Caufield again. Now 3rd in the league in goals, tops among US players. You hear that Bill Guerin.
After the game, the network switched over to the OT of the Leafs Canucks game. Quite the difference. Like watching a calf trying to avoid slipping on its own manure.
On another topic, don’t look now but Jack Hughes seems to be doing his Kirby Dach impression.
Sure looking that way, Howard.
Hughes entered the league in 2019-20, and for the next 3 Covid-shortened seasons when the Devils played 69, 56 and 55, he missed a total of 14. In 2022-23, a full 82-game season, he missed just 4, but the next season, also an 82-game one, he missed 16 before it was announced on April 9, 2024 that he would also miss the final 4 regular-season games, for a total of 20. In 2024-25 he again was forced to have shoulder surgery and missed 25 games plus all 5 playoff games. So far this season he has been out for 19 of the team’s 55. All told he has missed 82 of his team’s 481 games – or 17%,
Very interesting perspective on Gary Bettman and how his NHL is the envy of MLB
https://deadspin.com/how-gary-bettman-built-the-model-mlb-owners-crave/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us