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Darren Raddysh, Tampa Bay Lightning (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

NHL Morning Recap – January 4, 2026

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Spencer Lazary | Last updated Jan 4, 2026 5:30 AM ET

Welcome to another edition of the NHL Morning Recap.

All the Latest NHL Daily Recaps

Today, we will be looking at the scores of the 13 NHL games that were played on Jan. 3, 2026. Which saw the New York Islanders host the Toronto Maple Leafs. As well as the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins battle it out in the late game.

All that and more in the Morning Recap.

PENGUINS 4 at RED WINGS 1

Penguins’ Great Defensive Effort Propels Them to 4-1 Victory Over Red Wings

Pittsburgh Penguins Scoring Summary

P1 3:44 – Bryan Rust (16), unassisted
P1 17:30 – Yegor Chinakhov (4) from Ben Kindel (8), Wotherspoon (13)
P3 19:00 – Rickard Rakell (5) from Crosby (22), Kulak (4) – Empty Net
P3 19:28 – Connor Dewar (7) from Lizotte (5), Letang (18) – Empty Net

Detroit Red Wings Scoring Summary

P2 15:06 – Alex DeBrincat (22), unassisted

SABRES 1 at BLUE JACKETS 5

Blue Jackets Put Decisive End to Sabres’ 10-Game Winning Streak

Columbus Blue Jackets Scoring Summary

P1 3:00 – Denton Mateychuk (8) from Boone Jenner (12), Zach Werenski (27)
P1 14:04 – Brendan Gaunce (2), unassisted
P1 17:12 – Dmitri Voronkov (14) from Ivan Provorov (10), Damon Severson (13)
P2 8:04 – Mathieu Olivier (4) from Zachary Aston-Reese (4), Severson (14)
P3 11:46 – Cole Sillinger (5) from Mateychuk (11), Werenski (28) – Empty Net

Buffalo Sabres Scoring Summary

P1 11:26 – Josh Doan (12) from Josh Norris (8), Owen Power (9)

MAMMOTH 1 at DEVILS 4

Devils Sweep Season Series Against Mammoth With 4-1 Win

New Jersey Devils Scoring Summary

P1 12:27 – Jesper Bratt (9) from Brett Pesce (4), Jack Hughes (12)
P1 14:18 – Timo Meier (12) from Dawson Mercer (15), Pesce (5)
P2 15:13 – Nico Hischier (12) from Hughes (13), Bratt (24)
P2 16:43 – Dougie Hamilton (5) from Luke Glendening (4)

Utah Hockey Club Scoring Summary

P3 12:35 – Michael Carcone (7) from Barrett Hayton (8), Sean Durzi (10)

FLYERS 5 at OILERS 2

Flyers Use Strong First Period in 5-2 Victory Over Oilers

Philadelphia Flyers Scoring Summary

P1 7:16 – Denver Barkey (1) from Owen Tippett (12), Sean Couturier (17)
P1 10:31 – Travis Sanheim (4), unassisted
P1 14:38 – Bobby Brink (11) from Cam York (14), Matvei Michkov (14)
P3 9:09 – Nick Seeler (1) from Rodrigo Abols (6)
P3 18:50 – Tippett (13) from Couturier (18), Seeler (5) – Empty Net

Edmonton Oilers Scoring Summary

P1 16:08 – Connor McDavid (25) from Mattias Ekholm (15)
P2 9:54 – Evan Bouchard (8) from McDavid (47), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (22)

CANADIENS 0 at BLUES 2

Binnington Shuts Out Canadiens in Blues’ 2-0 Victory

St. Louis Blues Scoring Summary

P1 10:48 – Jonatan Berggren (5) from Cam Fowler (14), Otto Stenberg (5)
P2 10:13 – Robert Thomas (10) from Alexey Toropchenko (3)

LIGHTNING 7 at SHARKS 3

Tampa Bay Lightning Scoring Summary

P1 2:37 – Brayden Point (10) from Maxwell Crozier (8), Nikita Kucherov (36)
P1 4:08 – Darren Raddysh (10) from Kucherov (37), Gage Goncalves (9)
P1 6:46 – Brandon Hagel (19) from Jake Guentzel (24), Charle-Edouard D’Astous (11)
P2 2:49 – Raddysh (11) from Kucherov (38), Guentzel (25)
P2 3:55 – Dominic James (3) from Oliver Bjorkstrand (13)
P2 14:08 – Kucherov (20) from Bjorkstrand (14), Point (16)
P2 16:53 – Raddysh (12) from Kucherov (39), Nick Paul (6)

San Jose Sharks Scoring Summary

P1 10:50 – Pavol Regenda (3) from Timothy Liljegren (5), Macklin Celebrini (41)
P2 9:50 – Regenda (4) from Liljegren (6), Jeff Skinner (4)
P3 16:11 – Regenda (5) from Skinner (5)

PREDATORS 4 at FLAMES 3

Predators Score in Last Minute to Snap Flames’ 3-Game Win Streak

Nashville Predators Scoring Summary

P1 11:19 – Erik Haula (6) from Michael Bunting (11), Steven Stamkos (9)
P1 12:52 – Haula (7) from Stamkos (10), Bunting (12)
P2 4:08 – Bunting (11), unassisted
P3 19:31 – Nicolas Hague (2) from Bunting (13), Michael McCarron (7)

Calgary Flames Scoring Summary

P1 1:56 – Yan Kuznetsov (3) from MacKenzie Weegar (12), Jonathan Huberdeau (13)
P1 13:41 – Rasmus Andersson (9) from Matt Coronato (12)
P3 12:49 – Blake Coleman (13) from Mikael Backlund (16), Coronato (13)

AVALANCHE 5 at HURRICANES 3

Avalanche Win 10th Straight Game After 5-3 Comeback Win Over Hurricanes

Carolina Hurricanes Scoring Summary

P1 18:09 – Sebastian Aho (17) from Eric Robinson (4)
P2 4:47 – Nikolaj Ehlers (10) from Taylor Hall (11), Logan Stankoven (11)
P2 7:50 – Andrei Svechnikov (12) from Aho (25), K’Andre Miller (14)

Colorado Avalanche Scoring Summary

P2 1:47 – Gabriel Landeskog (7) from Nathan MacKinnon (37), Martin Necas (33)f
P3 1:09 – Brock Nelson (17) from MacKinnon (38), Cale Makar (34)
P3 1:42 – Jack Drury (7) from Ross Colton (11)
P3 7:30 – Nelson (18) from MacKinnon (39), Makar (35)
P3 19:42 – MacKinnon (35) from Necas (34), Artturi Lehkonen (19)

BLACKHAWKS 3 at CAPITALS 2 – SO

Chicago Blackhawks Scoring Summary

P1 1:13 – Ryan Donato (10) from Ilya Mikheyev (5)
P2 4:24 – Teuvo Teravainen (9) from Tyler Bertuzzi (12), Andre Burakovsky (17)

Ryan Donato, Chicago Blackhawks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Washington Capitals Scoring Summary

P1 4:46 – Dylan Strome (10) from Ethen Frank (8), Trevor van Riemsdyk (5)
P3 11:18 – Ryan Leonard (8) from Matt Roy (11), Anthony Beauvillier (6)

Shootout Summary:

CHI: Nick Lardis – Goal
WSH: Strome – Goal
WSH: Sonny Milano – Goal
CHI: Burakovsky – Goal
CHI: Nick Foligno – Winner

MAPLE LEAFS 4 at ISLANDERS 3 – OT

Islanders Score Late In Third & Beat Maple Leafs 4-3 In OT

Toronto Maple Leafs Scoring Summary

P2 9:30 – Auston Matthews (19), unassisted
P2 17:19 – Matthews (20) from Bobby McMann (10), Max Domi (15)
P3 12:12 – Nicholas Robertson (9) from Nicolas Roy (11)

New York Islanders Scoring Summary

P2 1:10 – Adam Pelech (3) from Jonathan Drouin (15)
P3 11:10 – Matthew Schaefer (11) from Drouin (16), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (10)
P3 17:15 – Emil Heineman (13) from Mathew Barzal (21), Tony DeAngelo (13)
OT 4:11 – Schaefer (12) from Barzal (22), Heineman (7)

JETS 2 at SENATORS 4

Ottawa Senators Scoring Summary

P1 15:03 – Thomas Chabot (3) from Brady Tkachuk (13)
P2 5:56 – Chabot (4) from Nick Jensen (8), Ridly Greig (10)
P2 15:50 – Drake Batherson (16) from Tim Stutzle (24), Dylan Cozens (19)
P3 15:28 – Claude Giroux (8) from Jake Sanderson (21), Shane Pinto (9)

Winnipeg Jets Scoring Summary

P1 12:08 – Adam Lowry (3) from Kyle Connor (29)
P3 10:10 – Connor (19) from Dylan DeMelo (13), Josh Morrissey (26)

WILD 4 at KINGS 5 – SO

Kings Defeat Wild 5-4 in Shootout

Minnesota Wild Scoring Summary

P1 8:28 – Jake Middleton (1) from Mats Zuccarello (15), Zach Bogosian (3)
P2 18:23 – Joel Eriksson Ek (11) from Quinn Hughes (32)
P3 7:33 – Brock Faber (9) from Danila Yurov (10), Kirill Kaprizov (25)
P3 17:03 – Matt Boldy (26) from Faber (14), Marcus Foligno (4)

Los Angeles Kings Scoring Summary

P1 6:08 – Adrian Kempe (14) from Anze Kopitar (15), Alex Laferriere (9)
P2 16:57 – Corey Perry (9) from Quinton Byfield (17), Brandt Clarke (14)
P3 4:54 – Byfield (6), unassisted
P3 12:09 – Samuel Helenius (1) from Kevin Fiala (14), Alex Turcotte (5)

Shootout Summary:

LAK: Kempe – Goal
MIN: Matt Boldy – Goal
LAK: Clarke – Winner

BRUINS 3 at CANUCKS 2 – OT

Minten Scores Twice, Including the OT Winner, in Bruins’ 3-2 Victory Over Canucks

Boston Bruins Scoring Summary

P1 16:24 – Fraser Minten (7) from Alex Steeves (4), Hampus Lindholm (11)
P2 7:25 – Elias Lindholm (7) from Pastrnak (28), Charlie McAvoy (20)
OT 4:41 – Minten (8) from David Pastrnak (29), Mason Lohrei (14)

Vancouver Canucks Scoring Summary

P2 0:48 – Elias Pettersson (10) from Filip Hronek (22), Linus Karlsson (8)
P2 18:44 – Hronek (3) from Zeev Buium (14)