It was a bittersweet night in Toronto on Saturday, but one for the history books. Auston Matthews has officially cemented his legacy as the greatest goal scorer in Maple Leafs history. With his two-goal performance against the Islanders on January 3, Matthews reached 421 career goals, surpassing Mats Sundin’s franchise record of 420. While the Leafs fell 4-3 in overtime, the atmosphere at Scotiabank Arena was electric as the captain rewrote the record books.
Meanwhile, out west, the Colorado Avalanche are looking absolutely unstoppable. Led by Nathan MacKinnon’s four-point night (1G, 3A), the Avs rallied to beat the Hurricanes 5-3, extending their winning streak to 10 games. MacKinnon also passed Joe Sakic for second place in franchise history for four-point games, further fueling his Hart Trophy campaign.
In other news, the Winnipeg Jets are in freefall, dropping their ninth straight game in a 4-2 loss to Ottawa. Tensions boiled over as Logan Stanley and Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves, symbolizing the frustration in Winnipeg.
NHL Scores & Notes: January 3, 2026
Here is a quick recap of yesterday’s action to get you up to speed:
- Islanders 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT): Matthews breaks the record, but New York steals the extra point.
- Avalanche 5, Hurricanes 3: Colorado wins 10th straight; MacKinnon dominates with 4 points.
- Penguins 4, Red Wings 1: Sidney Crosby extends his point streak to six games; Pens defense stifles Detroit.
- Blue Jackets 5, Sabres 1: Columbus snaps Buffalo’s impressive 10-game winning streak.
- Devils 4, Mammoth 1: New Jersey sweeps the season series against Utah.
- Blues 2, Canadiens 0: Jordan Binnington earns his first shutout of the 2025-26 season.
- Senators 4, Jets 2: Chabot scores twice; Jets’ losing streak hits nine.
- Predators 4, Flames 3: Nicolas Hague scores the winner with 29 seconds left.
- Lightning 7, Sharks 3: Darren Raddysh nets his first career hat trick.
- Kings 5, Wild 4 (SO): LA edges Minnesota in a shootout thriller.
- Blackhawks 3, Capitals 2 (SO): Nick Foligno plays hero in the skills competition.
- Bruins 3, Canucks 2 (OT): Boston grinds out a win in Vancouver.
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