Last Night in Canadian Hockey - Dec. 24: Leafs, Sens, Oilers, Flames & Habs
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Result: A needed exhale, not a reset
Toronto’s 6–3 win over Pittsburgh mattered less for the scoreline than for what it stopped. A three-game slide ended, some pressure came off Craig Berube—at least temporarily—and a few players finally stepped out from under the weight of their own droughts. This wasn’t a cure-all, but it was a night where the Maple Leafs avoided making things worse.
Max Domi was the pivot point. Snapping a 23-game goalless streak is one thing; doing it by dancing through coverage at a moment when the game still felt fragile is another. That goal didn’t just put Toronto ahead—it shifted the emotional balance of the night. William Nylander’s four-point performance helped pad the margin, but Domi’s goal changed the temperature.
The defining moment came less from what Toronto did than what Pittsburgh couldn’t. The Penguins had chances to turn this into a grind, but their defensive structure didn’t hold when the Leafs pushed pace through the middle. The power play remains unresolved—0-for-2 on a night after an assistant coach was fired—but five-on-five, Toronto finally looked assertive instead of reactive. For now, that was enough.
Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres
Result: A missed opportunity disguised as a point
Overtime losses have a way of hiding disappointment, but Ottawa’s 3–2 defeat to Buffalo should sit uncomfortably. Against a Sabres team riding confidence, the Senators had a late power play to take control—and didn’t. That moment loomed larger than Bowen Byram’s overtime winner, 31 seconds in.
Tim Stützle was Ottawa’s best forward again, extending his point streak and driving play when the ice opened up. But the defining moment came earlier, when the Senators failed to convert with the man advantage late in regulation. In a tight game between two teams fighting for similar ground, that was the swing chance.
This game tilted not because Ottawa played poorly, but because they couldn’t capitalize on leverage. Buffalo absorbed pressure, trusted its structure, and leaned on timely execution. Ottawa is better than they were earlier this season—but games like this show how thin the margin still is between progress and frustration.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames
Result: A statement about hierarchy, not rivalry
Edmonton’s 5–1 win over Calgary was decisive in a way that didn’t feel dramatic—it felt inevitable. When the Oilers are this clean on special teams and this assertive with the puck, the game hierarchy becomes obvious early.
Leon Draisaitl was the focal point, not just for the hat trick, but for ending a quiet personal stretch emphatically. Still, the defining moment was Edmonton’s power play, extending the lead to 5–1. At that point, the Flames weren’t chasing the game—they were surviving it.
This wasn’t about Calgary failing as much as Edmonton reinforcing what they are when they’re locked in: a team that converts momentum instead of waiting for it. Connor McDavid’s five assists told the story of control rather than chaos. Edmonton didn’t trade chances. They imposed structure—and that’s why this one never felt close.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins
Result: A young team announcing itself loudly
Montreal’s 6–2 win in Boston wasn’t just a road victory—it was a reminder that this group is learning how to break games open. A five-minute stretch in the third period turned a tied game into a runaway, and once it tipped, there was no pulling it back.
Zach Bolduc will get attention for his continued impact, but the key player here was Cole Caufield, whose power-play goal turned pressure into separation. The defining moment, though, came just before that—when Boston had a goal waved off late in the second. From there, Montreal seized the moment while the Bruins stalled.
This game tilted because Montreal attacked hesitantly. When Boston faltered—broken stick, missed clearance, wavering coverage—the Canadiens didn’t reset. They pressed. That’s a sign of maturity, even in a young roster, and it’s why this win felt more instructive than surprising.
What the Night Told Us About Canada’s Teams
Taken together, this was a night about conversion. Toronto and Montreal converted relief and opportunity. Edmonton converted dominance into distance. Ottawa, by contrast, let its moment pass.
None of these games rewrite seasons on their own. But they do sharpen the picture. Some teams know exactly who they are right now. Others are still finding out—and nights like this are how the answers start to surface.