If you were watching hockey on January 6, 2026, you saw exactly why the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Colorado Avalanche game is still the gold standard for regular-season matchups. It wasn't just a win for the Bolts. It was a statement. Tampa rallied from behind to secure a 4-2 victory, extending an eight-game winning streak that has basically turned the Atlantic Division on its head.
Honestly, even though they play in different conferences, every time these two meet, it feels like a 2022 Stanley Cup Final rematch. The speed is different. The hits are harder.
The Current State of the Rivalry
Colorado came into that January 2026 meeting as the best team in the league. They were 31-3. Think about that for a second. They had only lost three games in regulation halfway through the season.
Then they hit the Lightning buzzsaw at Benchmark International Arena.
Tampa Bay has been on a tear lately. Nikita Kucherov is playing like a man possessed, and Brandon Hagel has evolved into a legitimate game-breaker. Hagel’s go-ahead goal in the third period of that recent game basically summed up the Lightning’s current identity: relentless, annoying to play against, and incredibly clinical when it matters.
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Why This Matchup Matters So Much
- The Star Power: You have Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar on one side. You have Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy on the other. That’s a lot of hardware on one sheet of ice.
- Historical Weight: The 2022 Final changed things. It ended the Lightning's bid for a three-peat. You can tell the core guys in Tampa haven't forgotten that.
- The 2026 Scoring Race: As of mid-January 2026, Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov are neck-and-neck for the Art Ross. MacKinnon has about 81 points in 45 games; Kucherov is right there with 65 points but has been closing the gap during this recent win streak.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Bolts
People keep waiting for the Lightning to get old. They’ve been saying it for three years. "The window is closing," they said when Steven Stamkos left. But look at the roster Jon Cooper is rolling out now.
Jake Guentzel has fit in seamlessly. He’s already hovering around 20 goals. Then you have guys like J.J. Moser, who came over in the Utah trade and is currently leading the team in plus/minus at a staggering +35. It’s not just the old guard anymore.
Colorado, on the other hand, is a machine. They lead the league in goals for (181) and goals against (99). They are basically the perfect hockey team on paper. But Tampa knows how to muck it up. In that 4-2 win, the Lightning won 69% of the faceoffs. They took away the puck. They frustrated MacKinnon, who was held to just a single assist.
Key Matchup Stats (As of Jan 2026)
| Category | Tampa Bay Lightning | Colorado Avalanche |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 29-13-3 | 33-4-8 |
| Leading Scorer | Nikita Kucherov (65 pts) | Nathan MacKinnon (81 pts) |
| Power Play % | Top 10 in NHL | Top 5 in NHL |
| Home Ice Advantage | 12-9-0 | 21-game home point streak |
The MacKinnon vs Kucherov Factor
It's sorta crazy how different these two are. MacKinnon is a bull. He skates like he’s trying to break the ice. When he enters the zone, defenders literally start backing up because they’re afraid of the speed.
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Kucherov is a ghost. He moves at his own pace, slows the game down, and then hits a pass that nobody else in the arena saw coming. In the January 6 game, Kucherov didn't even score a goal, but he had two assists and was the first star of the game. He controlled the entire flow.
The Injury Bug and the 2026 Outlook
Both teams are dealing with some stuff right now. Gabriel Landeskog is still sidelined for Colorado with an upper-body injury—it's been a long road for the Avs captain. Devon Toews is also out week-to-week.
Tampa is missing Ryan McDonagh until after the Olympic break, and they’ve been rotating young defensemen like Max Crozier and Declan Carlile. The fact that Tampa is winning games with a patchwork blue line is a testament to Vasilevskiy. "Vasy" is back to his 2021 form, posting a 2.33 GAA and 18 wins.
What to Watch for Next
If you’re betting on these games or just following the standings, keep an eye on the schedule leading up to the February Olympic break. Both teams are sending a massive chunk of their rosters to Italy for the Winter Games. 11 Lightning players were selected.
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The wear and tear is going to be real.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Watch the Matchup Trends: Colorado has struggled against the spread (ATS) when playing Tampa recently, going 2-8 in their last 10 head-to-heads. Even when the Avs are "better," the Lightning play them tough.
- Monitor the Power Play: Colorado’s power play has been inconsistent lately, as Martin Necas recently noted. If Tampa stays out of the box, they almost always win.
- Check Goalie Rotations: With three goalies on both rosters earlier this season, the starts are getting split more than usual. Always check if it’s Vasilevskiy vs. Georgiev/Blackwood before getting too excited about the scoreline.
The next time the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Colorado Avalanche shows up on the calendar, don't miss it. It’s the closest thing the NHL has to a heavyweight title fight in the regular season.
Track the point race between Kucherov and MacKinnon daily; that Art Ross trophy is going to be decided by a single point in April. Keep an eye on the waiver wire for Colorado's defensive depth, as the Toews injury might force a trade before the deadline.