January 31, 2026, marks another exciting day in the National Hockey League, with teams battling for playoff positioning and individual players etching their names in the record books. Here's a comprehensive look at the latest action from around the league:

Sabres' Tuch and Lyon set records: Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch had a hat trick in a 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings. Goalie Alex Lyon made 37 saves and Jack Quinn had three assists for the Sabres. Tuch now holds the NHL record for the most hat tricks in January, with this being his fourth. Lyon set a franchise record with his tenth consecutive win.

Kane makes history: In Detroit, Patrick Kane of the Red Wings collected an assist in a game against the Washington Capitals, setting a new league record for the most career regular-season points by a U.S.-born player with 1,375 points. Mike Modano, the previous record holder, gave Kane a video tribute after the record was broken. The Capitals, however, defeated the Red Wings 4-3 in a shootout, with Nic Dowd scoring the deciding goal. Alex DeBrincat scored twice late in the third period to tie the game for Detroit.

Hurricanes rally: The Carolina Hurricanes demonstrated resilience, scoring three third-period goals to overcome a 4-2 deficit and defeat the Utah Mammoth 5-4. Andrei Svechnikov, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Jordan Staal each contributed a goal in the comeback effort. Svechnikov and Gostisbehere each had two goals and an assist in the game. Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi set an NHL record as the fastest goaltender to reach 20 career regular-season wins, achieving this in just 24 games.

Bruins prepare for Stadium Series without key players: The Boston Bruins are gearing up for the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, they will be without key players Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha, who are both day-to-day with upper-body injuries.

Other Notable Games:

• The New York Islanders held off the New York Rangers 2-1, with rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer scoring the game-winning goal.
• Charlie Coyle of the Columbus Blue Jackets recorded his second career hat trick in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Olympic Outlook:

With the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan approaching, several NHL stars are preparing to represent their countries. Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings), Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche), J.T. Miller (New York Rangers), and Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) are among the team captains who will be participating in the Olympics.

League Standings:

As of January 31st, 2026, the top teams in each division are:

• Eastern Conference

  • Atlantic Division: Tampa Bay Lightning (34-14-4)
  • Metropolitan Division: Carolina Hurricanes (33-15-5)

  • Western Conference

  • Details on Western Conference standings were unavailable in the provided context.

The playoff races are heating up as teams jostle for position heading into the final stretch of the regular season. With both team success and individual milestones, the NHL continues to deliver excitement for hockey fans.