NHL Recap January 12, 2026 | Pro Hockey News

Nikita Kucherov And Jake Guentzel placed multi-point performance to lift the Lightning to their 10th consecutive win, while William Nylander scored the overtime winner to win the Maple leaves pushing their point streak to double figures.
* Connor McDavid became the first player in 2025-26 to reach 80 points and 50 assists — the 10th straight season he reached the latter milestone — on a night he extended his point streak to 19 games.

* The League has cleared NHL Central Scouting‘s Mid-Season Rankings presented by BODYARMOR Sports Drink and put forward Gavin McKenna first among North American skaters.

* Tuesday’s schedule will feature 20 teams in action, including eight during NHL on TNT and ESPN+ doubleheaders.

LIGHTNING, MAPLE LEAVES EXTEND STREAKS TO DOUBLE DIGITS

The Lightning defeated the Kites to extend their win streak to double digits on Monday as Atlantic Division rivals Maple leaves pushed their points streak to 10 games with a win against the Avalanche.

* Nikita Kucherov (1-1-2) and Jake Guentzel (1-1-2) both put on multi-point performances to win the Lightning extend the League’s longest active winning streak to 10 games – tied for them second longest in franchise history. In the process, Jon Cooper became the second-fastest head coach in NHL history to 600 regular season wins (1,005 ranking).

* Kucherov extended his multi-point streak to nine games (10-14-24) and tied former teammate Steven Stamkos (9 GP in 2021-2022) for the longest of all active players. In addition, Kucherov registered his 12th career total of 10 game points and tied with Peter Stastny for the most part in NHL history by a player born outside of North America.

* William Nylander (1-1-2) accounted for two goals, including scoring the overtime winner, as the Maple leaves extended their point streak to double digits (8-0-2) – tied for the fifth longest in franchise history – while also getting the Avalanche‘s 17-game home winning streak. Toronto (23-15-7, 53 points) advanced to first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, marking their first time in a playoff position since November 7.

*Nyllander, named after Team Sweden for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the seventh Swedish player in NHL history with 50 winning goals in career games – a list at the top Maple leaves legend Mats Sundin (96). He also recorded his 50th career winning goal to draw the match Ron Ellis for the fifth most in franchise history.

McDAVID’S POINT TIGHT REACHES 19 GAMES AS HE RECORDS 50TH ASSIST OF THE SEASON
Connor McDavid (0-2-2) extended its points streak to 19 games, tied for the seventh-longest streak in Oil squirters history, becoming the first player this season to reach the 50-assist and 80-point plateaus – just hours earlier Nathan Mackinnon also recorded his 80th point of the campaign. Edmonton improved to 23-16-7 (53 points) and moved one point behind inactive Vegas (21-11-12, 54 points) for first place in the Pacific Division.

* McDavid became the first player to tie 50 assists in a season for the fourth time in his career Bobby Orr behind for the third most cases in NHL history Wayne Gretzky (9x) and Mario Lemieux (5x). McDavid recorded his 10th consecutive 50-assist season since 2016-17, beating Gretzky and Jari Kurri (both with 9) for the most in franchise history while joining Sidney Crosby (12) as the second active player with at least 10 career campaigns with 50 assists.

* The Oil squirters captain increased his total during his point streak to 19-25-44 when he passed Patrick Kane‘s run in 2018-19 (43 in 20 GP) for the second-most points accumulated during a points streak by an active player. He now trails only Crosby’s streak from 2010-11 (50 in 25 GP).

QUICK GOALS FROM SOME PLAYERS PROVIDE WINS FOR NEW JERSEY, MONTREAL
Two quick goals from both Jesper Bratt (0:21) And Alexandre Drager (0:20) included in the winning efforts for the Devils (22-21-2, 46 points) and Canadians (26-14-6, 58 points), respectively.

* Bratt recorded the second-fastest two goals by a single player Devils/Rockies/Scouts History – a mark in the hands of the captain Nico Hischier (0:10 on October 19, 2024) – and helped New Jersey to victory in the latest edition of the ‘Hughes Bowl’. Jack Hughes (0-1-1) increased his career totals to 8-8-16 (9 GP) in matches against his brother, Quinnwhile the Devils improved to 8-1-0 in those games.

* The Canadians four of the six goals were scored by defenders, including two in the space of twenty seconds Carrier, to lead them to victory against the Canucks on Prime Monday Night Hockey. Carrier tied up Bert Corbeau (0:20 on December 25, 1919) for the second-fastest two goals by a Montreal blueliner, behind only Larry Robinson (0:19 on March 22, 1980). The win helped the Canadians keep up with the Red Wings And Lightning – both of which won on Monday – at the top of the Atlantic Division standings.

BOBROVSKY CLIMBS ALL-WIN LIST IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The Monday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates in the spotlight Sergei Bobrovskywho made 20 saves to save the Panthers (24-18-3, 51 points) skate to victory, moving within one point of their opponent, the Sabres (24-16-4, 52 points), for the final Wild Map spot in the Eastern Conference.

BUFFALO TO McKENNA, STENBERG ON 2026 UPPER DECK NHL PRELIMINARY VERSION

The NHL Preliminary version will return to Buffalo for the first time in ten years with the Sabres announced as host of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Preliminary version from June 26 (Round 1: 7:00 PM ET on ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVA Sports) to June 27 (Rounds 2-7: 10:00 AM ET on NHL NetworkESPN+, Sportsnet) at KeyBank Center.

* In addition, the NHL has released NHL Central Scouting‘s Mid-Season Rankings presented by BODYARMOR Sports Drink, featuring Gavin McKennaa left wing at Penn State, who ranks first among North American skaters and Ivar Stenberga lefty skater for Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League, at the top of the list of international skaters. They could participate Auston Matthews (2016), Vincent Lecavalier (1998) and Erik Lindros (1991) as top talents whose decorated NHL careers began when they were selected first overall in an NHL Preliminary version hosted in Buffalo. Click here for more details about the event and access to the full runkings.

QUICK CLICKS

* Thomas Hertl leads 3 Stars of the Week

* Dean Evason fired as Blue jackets trainer, replaced by Rick Bowness
* Clayton Keller motivated to excel for Team USA at Olympic Games in father’s memory
* Rasmus Andersson accompanied by Noah Gaudreau after training in Columbus

* #NHLStats ahead of the 26th annual Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada

TUESDAY’S 10-GAME SCHEDULE headlined by NHL ON TNT, ESPN+ DOUBLEHEADERS

Tuesday’s slate is highlighted by an NHL on TNT two-pack opening with Patrick Kane and the Red Wings visiting David Pastrnak and the Browns followed by Leo Carlsson and the Ducks host Mikko Rantanen and the Stars. The schedule also features the Hurricanes–Blues And Maple leaves–Mammoth as part of an ESPN+ doubleheader.

* Kane can do the NHL record for most points by a US-born player with four at TD Garden, where he was on the ice for Chicago’s late tying goal before the Stanley Cup tipped the scales 17 seconds later. Game 6 of the 2013 Finals. Boston, which has outscored its opponents by a combined margin of 15-3 during its three-game winning streak, can move back into a playoff spot and gain ground on Atlantic Division-leading Detroit.

* Rantanen is one of the five players mentioned Team Finland’s roster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics went skating at Honda Center, while the others were his teammates in Dallas Miro Heiskanen, Call Hintz And Esa Lindell as well as Anaheim forward Mikael Granlund. Granlund, who was a member of the Stars is one of two players to go to Italy last season and represent Team Finland at the Sochi Games (also Olli Määtä).

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