Honestly, if you took a nap during the third period of any game last night, you probably woke up to a completely different league. Tuesday, January 13, 2026, was one of those nights where the "safe" leads went to die and the Atlantic Division standings got tossed into a blender.
It was absolute chaos.
The biggest story? The Tampa Bay Lightning won their 11th straight game. Eleven! They took down the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 2-1 shootout thriller that felt more like a playoff game in May than a mid-January regular-season slog. Nikita Kucherov, who is basically playing a different sport at this point, buried the deciding goal in the shootout. Andrei Vasilevskiy was a brick wall, stopping 26 shots and keeping the Bolts on top of the Atlantic.
National Hockey League Scores From Yesterday: The Heavy Hitters
Let's look at the damage. The scoreboard was lighting up across the continent, and some of the results were, frankly, weird.
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The Utah Mammoth absolutely dismantled the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1. You read that right. Six. To. One. Salt Lake City is becoming a house of horrors for visiting teams. Utah just looked faster, hungrier, and more organized. Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators edged out the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in overtime. Roman Josi decided he wasn't losing on Connor McDavid’s 29th birthday, scoring twice, including the winner at 3:43 of the extra frame.
McDavid did his thing—two assists, including his 50th of the year—but it wasn't enough. It’s kinda wild that the Oilers can have the best player on the planet and still find ways to drop points in Nashville.
The Shutout Special
Usually, Tuesday nights are high-scoring affairs, but two goalies decided to lock the doors and go home early.
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- Boston Bruins 3, Detroit Red Wings 0: Jeremy Swayman was perfect. The Wings have been hot lately, but they ran into a buzzsaw at TD Garden.
- St. Louis Blues 3, Carolina Hurricanes 0: This was the shocker for me. The Canes are usually so disciplined, but the Blues just suffocated them.
Why These Scores Matter for the Playoff Race
If you’re looking at the national hockey league scores from yesterday and wondering about the math, the Atlantic Division is a total mess right now. Tampa Bay is sitting in first with 61 points. Detroit is right behind them at 60. Then you have Montreal at 59 and Boston at 54.
The Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers are lurking with 52 and 51 points respectively. One bad week and you’re out of a playoff spot. One good week—like the Lightning are having—and you’re the king of the mountain. It’s stressful. It's basically a knife fight in a phone booth at this point.
Close Calls and Heartbreaks
- Winnipeg Jets 5, New York Islanders 4: A high-flying back-and-forth game that reminded everyone why the Jets are a dark horse in the West.
- Washington Capitals 3, Montreal Canadiens 2 (OT): Montreal almost pulled it off, but the Caps found a way in the extra session.
- Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Calgary Flames 3: Columbus is playing spoiler lately, and the Flames are feeling the heat (pun intended).
- Ottawa Senators 2, Vancouver Canucks 1: A defensive masterclass from the Sens.
- Anaheim Ducks 3, Dallas Stars 1: Dallas probably wants this one back. They outshot the Ducks but couldn't find the back of the net.
What Most People Are Missing
Everyone talks about the goal scorers. People love the "Ovi vs. Gretzky" tracker or McDavid’s point totals. But did you see the blocked shots in the Detroit vs. Boston game? Or the way Utah completely shut down Toronto's transition game?
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The league is shifting. It’s not just about having one superstar anymore. The teams that won yesterday—specifically Utah, Tampa, and St. Louis—did it through structural defense and high-efficiency finishing. They didn't need 50 shots. They just needed the right five shots.
Also, a quick shoutout to Alexandre Carrier in Montreal. He hit his 100th career point during their recent stretch, and while they lost in OT yesterday, that blue line is looking way better than people expected at the start of the season.
Actionable Insights for the Rest of the Week
If you're tracking these games for your fantasy league or just to keep your sanity, here is what you need to watch over the next 48 hours:
- Watch the Sabres vs. Flyers: Both are tied at 52 points. This is a "four-point game" if there ever was one. Whoever wins gains massive leverage in the Wild Card race.
- The Lightning Streak: They play St. Louis next. The Blues just shut out Carolina, so Tampa’s 11-game win streak is in serious jeopardy.
- McDavid's Point Streak: Even in a loss, he’s still producing. He's at 19 games now. If he hits 20, the hype train is going to go off the rails.
The NHL doesn't slow down. Yesterday's scores are already history, but the implications for the April standings are very real. Grab some coffee, check the injury reports, and get ready for the next puck drop.