Last Night in Canadian Hockey – Dec. 19: Habs, Oilers, Leafs, Sens & Flames
It was one of those nights where you could see the familiar Canadian mix of promise and caution. Some teams leaned on talent, some on goaltending, and a couple got reminded that good intentions don’t always make for good hockey. Across the five games, a pattern emerges: timely finishing matters, and a single lapse can tilt the balance faster than a hot cup of coffee on a chilly morning.
Montreal, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Calgary all found a way to turn moments into wins. Toronto, on the other hand, ran into a hot goalie and learned the hard way that even strong lineups have off nights. And while some of these victories feel like momentum builders, they’re also subtle reminders that consistency is still a work in progress.
This was a night defined by key players stepping up and defining moments that carried entire games. Zachary Bolduc showing up in Montreal, Connor McDavid reminding everyone why he’s…well, McDavid, and Linus Ullmark giving Ottawa a foundation to build on—these are the nights that make the highlights but also the analysis worthwhile.
Montreal Canadiens 4, Chicago Blackhawks 1
Montreal set the tone early and didn’t look back. Zachary Bolduc was the headline—two goals and the kind of confidence that makes a crowd lean forward. The Canadiens trailed briefly when Frank Nazar opened the scoring, but Bolduc tied it before the period ended, and by the third, his second deflection effectively closed the door. Lane Hutson’s three assists added the finesse, and Jakub Dobes kept the scoreline manageable when Chicago managed to poke through.
The game wasn’t that close in terms of play—the Canadiens outshot the Blackhawks 35-15—but Knight in goal kept Chicago alive longer than expected. The defining moment? Bolduc’s first goal. A young guy, home crowd, tied game after a sloppy start. That’s the kind of play that can shift a locker room and a season’s confidence. Montreal walks away with a reminder that, sometimes, the combination of talent and opportunism is enough to carry a team.
Edmonton Oilers 3, Boston Bruins 1
Connor McDavid did his usual, turning a tight game into one that felt almost inevitable in hindsight. He scored short-handed and set up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the first power-play goal. Add in Quinn Hutson’s first NHL goal, and Edmonton had both flair and depth. The Oilers also had to deal with Tristan Jarry leaving mid-game with an injury, but Calvin Pickard stepped in and kept Boston from getting back into it.
The defining moment came just under two minutes into the third when McDavid tucked one in himself. You could see it coming, and yet it still felt decisive—like the entire game hinged on the ability of a superstar to finish when it mattered. Edmonton leaves Boston with a win, confidence, and a reminder that talent plus poise under pressure still drives results.
Washington Capitals 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Washington’s win was a sober reminder to the Leafs that even high-end rosters stumble if the net is guarded by someone in the zone and ready. Logan Thompson earned his second shutout, and Jakob Chychrun added two goals, taking advantage of defensive lapses that Toronto couldn’t cover. The early score by Aliaksei Protas set the tone, and the Capitals didn’t let up.
Toronto had its looks, but it was more a story of being outmaneuvered than outplayed. The defining moment? That first goal by Protas—catching the Leafs off balance and giving Thompson a clean path for the rest of the night. If there’s a takeaway, it’s that execution beats talent when execution is timely, and the opposition isn’t letting up.
Ottawa Senators 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 0
Ottawa’s win was methodical and confident, powered by Linus Ullmark’s first shutout of the season. Brady Tkachuk scored twice, David Perron added another milestone with his 800th career point, and Claude Giroux contributed his own score. The Senators established the tone early with a power-play goal that showed their ability to make the simple look sharp.
The key moment was that backdoor feed from Tim Stutzle to Tkachuk, giving Ottawa the lead they never relinquished. Ullmark made sure the Penguins didn’t have any breathing room, and the win also extends Pittsburgh’s losing streak to seven. For Ottawa, it’s a night of affirmation: when the goalie stands tall, and the forwards finish chances, good things happen.
Calgary Flames 4, Seattle Kraken 2
Calgary was down and then suddenly wasn’t. Seattle had built a 2-1 lead through the first two periods, but the Flames’ third-period surge changed everything. Mikael Backlund scored twice, Nazem Kadri tied the game with a power-play goal, and Matt Coronato gave Calgary the lead for good. Rasmus Andersson’s three assists kept the chain moving, and Dustin Wolf was steady enough in goal to handle Seattle’s 42 shots.
The defining stretch was that third period, with three goals in less than ten minutes to completely turn the game. Calgary showcased the type of opportunism and clutch finishing that defines a team capable of sustaining playoff positioning. Meanwhile, Seattle’s defensive holes and inconsistent finishing continue to be a December headache.
The Bottom Line for Canadian Teams
Canadian teams had a night of contrasts. Montreal, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Calgary reminded fans that skill, opportunism, and goaltending can carry games. Toronto, by contrast, ran into a hot goalie and execution gaps, proving the other side of the coin. Across the board, a recurring theme: moments matter. A single play, a single goal, a single save can tilt an entire game, and these five matchups were a textbook example.
For the standings and momentum, it’s a night of both growth and warning. Teams that can marry skill with situational awareness—Montreal with its young stars, Edmonton with McDavid’s brilliance, Ottawa and Calgary with timely finishing—look like they’re capable of holding steady. Toronto and a few others learned that even a talented lineup needs to match moments with execution, or the scoreboard won’t forgive.