Canadian Teams Morning Review – Jan. 20: Leafs, Jets, Flames & Canucks
Monday night offered a familiar mix for Canadian hockey fans: brief flashes of promise, followed by reminders of how thin the margin remains for teams trying to hold their place—or find one at all. Toronto saw a home streak snapped by a heavier, more opportunistic opponent. Winnipeg ran headlong into a hot goaltender and an emotional road game. Calgary earned a point but little clarity. Vancouver, meanwhile, continued to spiral, even as management signalled a shift toward the future.
Across the four games involving Canadian teams, the common thread wasn’t effort or talent, but timing. Goals against came in clusters. Missed chances lingered. And in several cases, the games turned on moments that exposed structural issues rather than isolated mistakes.
What follows isn’t a box-score roundup, but a look at what these games actually meant—where they tilted, and why the results felt heavier than just another night on the schedule.
Minnesota Wild 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, this loss wasn’t just the end of a seven-game home winning streak. It was a reminder that even strong recent form can unravel quickly when a game slips out of structure.
The defining figure was Marcus Foligno. His first NHL hat trick didn’t come from highlight-reel skill so much as timing, presence, and punishment. Two of his goals came during a second period that effectively decided the night, as Minnesota turned a competitive game into a lopsided one by winning the middle of the ice and the physical exchanges around it.
The key moment arrived late in the second period. With the Maple Leafs already reeling, Foligno struck on the power play with 46 seconds left, stretching the score to 5–1. At that point, the building deflated. Any hope of a controlled third-period push was gone.
Auston Matthews continued to do his part, scoring his 25th goal of the season and adding an assist. John Tavares and Nicholas Robertson chipped in as well. But Toronto never recovered from the second-period collapse, and the goaltending switch—from Joseph Woll to Dennis Hildeby—felt more like damage control than a turning point.
Minnesota didn’t overwhelm Toronto with finesse. They overwhelmed them with layers, forechecking pressure, and second chances. That’s a formula that has undone the Maple Leafs before, and on this night, it did so again.
Chicago Blackhawks 2, Winnipeg Jets 0
This was the kind of loss that looks manageable in the standings but troubling in the details. For the Winnipeg Jets, a shutout defeat to a rebuilding Chicago team underscored how narrow their offensive margins have become.
The result turned on Spencer Knight. The Chicago goaltender stopped all 32 shots he faced, calmly erasing Winnipeg’s best looks and never letting the game loosen. When Connor Bedard sealed it with an empty-net goal, the outcome felt inevitable rather than cruel.
The emotional center of the night, however, was Jonathan Toews. Playing his first game in Chicago since signing with Winnipeg, Toews was greeted with a long-standing ovation and a highlight montage that reminded everyone in the building who he once was there. The moment belonged to him—but the game didn’t follow suit.
The defining play came midway through the second period, when Jason Dickinson converted Chicago’s lone even-strength goal. From there, the Jets chased the game without ever forcing it to open up.
Connor Hellebuyck was solid, but Winnipeg’s power play went 0-for-2 and failed to tilt the ice when it had the chance. With the Jets now 5–11–5 over their last 21 games, this felt less like a blip and more like confirmation that their issues run deeper than luck.
New Jersey Devils 2, Calgary Flames 1 (OT)
The Calgary Flames earned a point, but the night raised as many questions as it answered. A 2–1 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils showed competitiveness, but also highlighted how slim Calgary’s margin for error remains.
The game pivoted in overtime, when Simon Nemec slipped into space and finished a backhand feed from Jack Hughes just 1:18 into the extra frame. It was quick, clean, and decisive—everything overtime goals tend to be.
Nazem Kadri was Calgary’s key contributor, tying the game in the second period and dragging the Flames back into it after Dawson Mercer had opened the scoring. Kadri’s goal was notable not just for the finish, but for the assist from rookie Matvei Gridin, his first in the NHL.
The defining moment, though, may have come earlier: the debut of Zach Whitecloud on Calgary’s blue line. Acquired in a trade that sent Rasmus Andersson to Vegas, Whitecloud logged over 22 minutes, blocked shots, and played a steady, understated game. It was a quiet introduction, but an important one.
Calgary was competitive throughout, but couldn’t generate enough sustained pressure to end it in regulation. Devin Cooley was great in the crease for the Flames. In a season increasingly about evaluation and transition, this felt like another night of learning where the lessons mattered more than the point.
New York Islanders 4, Vancouver Canucks 3
For the Vancouver Canucks, this loss carried weight well beyond the scoreline. An 11th consecutive defeat, and a 0–9–2 stretch with no wins in 2026, has pushed the season firmly into reckoning territory.
Anthony Duclair was the difference. His two goals continued a remarkable turnaround—seven goals in seven games after managing just four in his first 38 appearances. Vancouver had answers early, with Max Sasson and Evander Kane giving them leads, but couldn’t hold them.
The defining stretch came late in the second period, when Vancouver surrendered two goals in 1:24. Ryan Pulock’s eventual game-winner, a clean shot from the top of the slot, exposed a familiar problem: coverage breaking down just as momentum might have shifted.
Matthew Schaefer and Mathew Barzal quietly controlled large portions of the game for New York, while Ilya Sorokin provided enough stability in goal to withstand Vancouver’s late push.
Earlier in the day, the Canucks traded winger Kiefer Sherwood for future assets, a move that acknowledged where the season has gone. On the ice, the loss reinforced it. Effort wasn’t the issue. Belief—and structure—might be.
Closing Thoughts About the Canadian Teams
If there was a theme to Monday night for Canadian teams, it was fragility. Games turned quickly, and once they did, recovery proved difficult. Toronto and Winnipeg were undone by stretches where they couldn’t impose their game. Calgary showed resolve but little margin. Vancouver continued to search for answers that may no longer be coming this season.
These weren’t blowouts across the board, but they were instructive losses. At this point in the calendar, that distinction matters—and for some teams, it may soon be all that’s left.