Canadian Teams Morning Review – Jan. 30: Habs, Jets, Flames, Oilers, Canucks & Leafs
Thursday night offered a familiar mix for Canada’s teams: flashes of control, moments of unravelling, and a few reminders that momentum in this league is never permanent. Some clubs leaned into structure and detail and were rewarded. Others found themselves exposed by teams that arrived sharper, faster, or more settled in who they are.
The common thread wasn’t effort — it was clarity. Who knew how they wanted to play, and who was still searching. Montreal and Edmonton found traction in very different ways. Vancouver leaned on goaltending and patience. Winnipeg, Calgary, and Toronto each ran into versions of themselves they’re still trying to solve.
By the end of the night, the standings didn’t just shift — they spoke.
Montreal Canadiens 7, Colorado Avalanche 3
Confidence Meets Opportunity
This wasn’t just Montreal beating Colorado 7–3; it was Montreal recognizing a moment and taking it. Against a Colorado team that arrived wearing Nordiques jerseys but playing without its usual edge, the Canadiens played free, fast, and opportunistic hockey.
Nick Suzuki set the tone, scoring on the power play, adding a short-handed goal, and driving the game with calm authority. The defining moment came late in the second period when Jake Evans and Kirby Dach scored 40 seconds apart, turning a competitive game into a runaway. From there, Montreal didn’t look back.
Jakub Dobes quietly steadied things again, improving to 7-0-1 in his last eight starts, while Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Carrier put the game away with third-period goals. Colorado looked like a team managing something internal. Montreal looked like a team enjoying its stride.
For a Canadiens group still learning how to carry momentum, this felt like a night where belief arrived before doubt.
Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Winnipeg Jets 1
Good Goaltending Wasn’t Enough
The Jets didn’t collapse in Tampa; they were methodically worn down. The Lightning’s 4–1 win was less about brilliance and more about control, the kind that leaves little room to breathe.
Kyle Connor provided Winnipeg’s lone goal, but Andrei Vasilevskiy erased any thought of a comeback, extending his streak to 14 games without a regulation loss. The defining moment came when Yanni Gourde restored Tampa’s two-goal cushion during a delayed penalty — a reminder of how quickly minor lapses become permanent.
Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves, but this wasn’t a goaltending problem. Winnipeg struggled to establish sustained pressure or dictate pace, and against a team like Tampa, that’s fatal.
The Jets left Florida reminded that structure without push rarely survives elite execution.
Minnesota Wild 4, Calgary Flames 1
Early Holes, Familiar Ending
Calgary’s 4–1 loss in Minnesota felt decided early, even if the scoreboard lagged. The Wild scored twice in the first period on just three shots, forcing the Flames into a chase they never fully recovered from.
Danila Yurov was the key figure, opening the scoring and setting Minnesota’s tone, while Filip Gustavsson calmly closed doors at the other end. The defining moment came when Matt Boldy’s late power-play goal ended any lingering doubt.
Morgan Frost provided Calgary’s lone goal, but the Flames once again found themselves needing perfection after early mistakes. At 0-3-2 in their last five, the margin is shrinking. This loss wasn’t chaos — it was erosion.
Edmonton Oilers 4, San Jose Sharks 3 (OT)
Belief Overrides Logic
Edmonton’s 4–3 overtime win felt improbable, then inevitable. Down 3–0 after one period, the Oilers didn’t panic — they recalibrated.
Leon Draisaitl sparked the comeback early in the third, Connor McDavid pulled them within one late, and Evan Bouchard tied it with 59 seconds left. Zach Hyman ended it in overtime. The defining moment was Bouchard’s equalizer — not the shot, but the timing.
This wasn’t clean hockey, but it was the kind of hockey that wins when it shouldn’t. Edmonton trusted that pressure would eventually tilt the ice. It did.
Vancouver Canucks 2, Anaheim Ducks 0
Goaltending as Stability
Vancouver’s 2–0 win over Anaheim was controlled and built almost entirely on Nikita Tolopilo’s composure. Making 32 saves after briefly leaving due to concussion protocol, Tolopilo gave the Canucks exactly what they needed.
The defining moment wasn’t a goal — it was Vancouver’s ability to stay patient while the game remained scoreless. Drew O’Connor broke through late, and Teddy Blueger sealed it short-handed. For a team still searching for rhythm, this was about surviving the night properly.
Seattle Kraken 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
The Slide Gets Louder
Toronto’s 5–2 loss to Seattle didn’t surprise — it clarified. The Maple Leafs slipped to 0-5-1 in their last six, and the issues were familiar.
Shane Wright scored twice, capitalizing on defensive breakdowns and loose coverage. The defining moment came early when Toronto again allowed a goal on the opening shot — a trend that’s become more than a coincidence.
There were responses from Nicholas Robertson and Morgan Rielly, but belief never followed. Seattle played faster, cleaner, and more decisively. Toronto isn’t short on talent. It’s short on answers.
Closing the Review with a Few Thoughts
Thursday wasn’t about disasters; it was about direction. Montreal and Edmonton leaned into confidence. Vancouver protected itself. Winnipeg, Calgary, and Toronto were reminded that the middle ground in this league is unforgiving. It’s looking increasingly unlikely that the Maple Leafs will make the postseason.
In January, nights like this don’t end seasons — but they often explain them.