Last Night in Canadian Hockey – Nov. 29: Leafs, Flames,

Some nights in the NHL feel like a snapshot of where a country’s teams really stand, and last night offered six of them. If you follow Canadian hockey closely, Friday didn’t deliver a tidy narrative. It delivered a mix: a couple of gut-punches, one calm and confident win, a comeback that showed real backbone, and a few games where the lesson was that progress isn’t always linear. What tied them together was something familiar—each team showed exactly who they are right now, for better or worse.

It was a night where Canadian teams didn’t simply win or lose; they revealed their habits. Toronto took an early lead but couldn’t close. Calgary rediscovered resilience on the road. Montreal looked like a team steadily figuring itself out. Ottawa learned, again, that details decide games. Vancouver hovered between promise and misstep. And Winnipeg saw the future in a young goalie who battled despite the score. Here’s how each game unfolded.

As a reader, if you are interested in a more complete game review, follow the links below each summary.

Game One: Capitals 4, Maple Leafs 2

The Maple Leafs started well. Goals from Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies gave Toronto a 2–0 cushion and the sense of a night headed in the right direction. But once Washington settled in and began to pressure Toronto’s exits, the ice tilted. Without William Nylander, the Maple Leafs looked increasingly stretched.

By the third period, the structure that supported Toronto’s early lead wasn’t there. Jakob Chychrun’s go-ahead goal felt like the culmination of shifts where Toronto couldn’t win battles or protect the middle. Joseph Woll kept things from getting out of hand, but the Maple Leafs couldn’t sustain the pace they began with.

Complete recap: Capitals 4, Maple Leafs 2: Toronto Lead Fizzles in 3rd Period

Game Two: Flames 5, Panthers 3

Calgary’s night started as poorly as possible: two shots against, two goals against. Instead of folding, the Flames steadied themselves and gradually pushed the game back onto their terms. Devin Cooley recovered impressively, giving his teammates time to climb back.

From there, Calgary’s blue line turned the tide. Yan Kuznetsov and MacKenzie Weegar scored key goals, and Nazem Kadri drove the comeback with his best game of the season. By the third period, Calgary looked like a team fully believing in its structure.

Complete recap: Flames 5, Panthers 3: A Gutsy, Comeback Road Win

Game Three: Canadiens 4, Golden Knights 1

Montreal played with the quiet confidence of a team that knows exactly what it wants to be. Sam Montembeault set the tone by looking dialed-in from the warmup forward, giving the Canadiens the calm they needed in a tough building.

The young core carried the offense. Zack Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Cole Caufield all played central roles in a night where Montreal didn’t chase the game—they dictated it. On a back-to-back, this was mature, composed hockey.

Complete recap: Canadiens 4, Golden Knights 1: Habs' Calm, Patient, Confident Win

Game Four: Blues 4, Senators 3

Ottawa controlled long stretches of play and held a 3–2 lead entering the third, but their details slipped at the wrong moment. The composure that had carried them early evaporated shift by shift.

Leevi Merilainen deserved better. The young goalie gave Ottawa every chance to close out the night. Brady Tkachuk, in his return, pushed hard with eight shots. But the Senators couldn’t protect the lead they’d earned.

Complete recap: Blues 4, Senators 3: Ottawa's Missed Third-Period Opportunity

Game Five: Sharks 3, Canucks 2

Vancouver needed a steadying performance, and for a while, it looked like they had it. Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson delivered highlight-level goals, and the Canucks carried stretches of play with confidence.

But penalties and looseness in defensive reads opened the door. San Jose’s special teams seized control, and Vancouver again found itself on the wrong side of a one-goal game. The effort was there; the finishing push was not.

Complete recap: Sharks 3, Canucks 2: Another One-Goal Loss With Lessons Attached

Game Six: Hurricanes 5, Jets 1

Winnipeg didn’t start on time. Carolina’s pace overwhelmed them early, and once the Hurricanes dictate the terms, they rarely give back control. The score reflects that imbalance.

Yet the story in Winnipeg was Thomas Milic’s poise in his NHL debut. He battled, stayed composed, and gave the Jets more than they gave him. On a night where little else went well, Milic offered something to build on.

Complete recap: Hurricanes 5, Jets 1: Tough Goalie NHL Debut