Man, if you went to bed early last night thinking the NHL slate was going to be a quiet one, you missed some absolute chaos. Honestly, looking at the board this morning, the first thing that jumps out is that Carolina score. It looks like a typo, but it isn’t. We’re talking about a night where winning streaks died, hat tricks were flying around like confetti, and one team forgot how to play defense entirely.
If you’re just here for the quick answer to what was the score of last night hockey game, there wasn't just one—there were five major matchups that shifted the momentum of the season.
The Hurricanes Absolutely Demolished Florida
Let's start with the game that everyone is texting about. The Carolina Hurricanes didn't just beat the Florida Panthers; they dismantled them. The final was 9-1.
Yeah. Nine.
Nikolaj Ehlers was the protagonist of this particular nightmare for Florida. He notched a hat trick and looked basically untouchable every time he stepped onto the ice. It’s one of those games where everything Carolina touched turned to gold. Florida, usually a titan in the Atlantic, looked like they were skating in sand. It’s rare to see a modern NHL game get that lopsided, especially between two playoff-caliber teams. Usually, when a score gets to 5-1, teams take their foot off the gas. Carolina? They just kept pushing.
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Nashville Ruins Colorado’s Perfect Home Record
Over in Denver, something historic happened. Well, historic for this season, anyway. The Nashville Predators walked into Ball Arena and handed the Colorado Avalanche their first regulation home loss of the year.
The 7-3 final score doesn't even tell the whole story. Ryan O’Reilly was a man possessed, picking up his seventh career hat trick and adding an assist just for good measure. Colorado had a 22-game home point streak going into this. It felt like they were invincible at high altitude. But Nashville’s forecheck was relentless. Between O'Reilly's clinic and Filip Forsberg chipping in three points of his own, the Avalanche defense finally cracked. It’s a huge wake-up call for Colorado, who had been cruising on home ice since October.
St. Louis Snaps the Lightning’s Streak
If you follow the standings, you know Tampa Bay has been the hottest team in hockey. They came into St. Louis with an 11-game winning streak. It felt like they might never lose again.
Then they met Joel Hofer.
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The Blues pulled off a 3-2 shootout victory, officially ending the Lightning’s run. It was a goalie duel for the ages. Hofer turned aside 34 shots, many of them high-danger chances from the likes of Kucherov and Point. The game stayed tight through sixty minutes and overtime, but the Blues held their nerve in the skills competition. It’s a massive "statement win" for St. Louis, proving they can hang with the elite even when the odds are stacked against them.
The Rest of the Night’s Results
The hockey gods weren't done there. We had a couple more close ones that went late into the night.
In Detroit, the Red Wings stayed hot with a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Lucas Raymond continues to prove why he's the cornerstone of that franchise’s rebuild. Meanwhile, out West, the "Freeway Face-off" lived up to the hype. The Anaheim Ducks rallied late to beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in a shootout. The Kings had control for most of the game, but Sennecke and the Ducks found a way to steal two points in the dying moments.
Quick Score Summary:
- Carolina Hurricanes 9, Florida Panthers 1
- Nashville Predators 7, Colorado Avalanche 3
- St. Louis Blues 3, Tampa Bay Lightning 2 (SO)
- Detroit Red Wings 4, San Jose Sharks 2
- Anaheim Ducks 3, Los Angeles Kings 2 (SO)
Why These Scores Matter Right Now
We are in the heart of the 2025-26 season, and the "January Grind" is starting to weed out the pretenders. When people ask what was the score of last night hockey game, they aren't just looking for numbers; they're looking for the shift in power.
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Seeing Florida get blown out like that raises questions about their depth. Seeing Nashville dismantle Colorado on the road suggests the Central Division is way more open than we thought. And Tampa? They’re still a juggernaut, but St. Louis just gave the rest of the league the blueprint on how to slow them down: stay disciplined, trust your goaltender, and don't let them get comfortable on the power play.
If you're a betting person or just a die-hard fan, these results change the "vibe" of the upcoming week. The Red Wings are now legitimately pushing for a higher seed, while the Kings are left wondering how they let a divisional rival snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
If you want to keep up with the momentum from last night, your best bet is to check the updated wild card standings. Teams like Nashville and St. Louis just gained a ton of ground. Keep an eye on the injury reports today, too—games that high-scoring often come with some physical costs that might affect the lineups for the Saturday night games.