Last Night in Canadian Hockey – Nov. 30: Jets, Habs, Leafs, Oilers & Canucks
Some nights around the NHL feel scattered, but last night gave Canadian fans a full sampler of where their teams stand as December approaches. There were moments of relief, moments of frustration, and a couple of performances that hinted—just faintly—at turning points.
What ties these games together isn’t the scores themselves, but the sense that several Canadian teams are trying to steady the ground under their feet. Below are short summaries of each matchup. If you want the full game reviews, click the link below each section in the original post. For now, here’s the quick, cross-Canada version of what happened.
Jets 5, Predators 2 - Winnipeg Reset on the Road
The Jets arrived in Nashville feeling “a little fragile,” but this was the kind of win that lets a team exhale. Winnipeg snapped its four-game skid with urgency, cleaner puck support, and the sort of timely scoring that had been missing during the slide. Gave Vilardi’s goal inside the first minute felt like a pressure valve releasing, and the Jets carried that looseness into the rest of the night.
What mattered most was how they responded when the Predators punched back. Nashville made it 3–2 early in the third, but instead of wobbling, Winnipeg answered with Connor’s redirection off a Schenn point shot. Add in Nino Niederreiter’s two goals, and the Jets finally looked like a group playing from ahead instead of being chased around the rink.
Jets 5, Predators 2: Winnipeg Got Its Road Reset
Avalanche 7, Canadiens 2 — Montreal Overwhelmed Early
The Canadiens came into Denver riding a three-game winning streak, but the Avalanche punished every loose detail. Montreal actually started well—good pace, decent rush looks—but early mistakes turned into goals almost instantly. Once Nelson and Landeskog struck, the temperature of the game changed sharply.
Colorado’s transition game was the real separator. Montreal couldn’t contain the entry speed or handle the layers of support the Avalanche bring when they’re rolling. Jakub Dobes didn’t get much help, often facing clean looks or lateral plays off broken coverage. There’s no shame in losing to a top team, but Montreal will want to tighten its details before this result bleeds into the week ahead.
Avalanche 7, Canadiens 2: Habs Chased Early, Can’t Recover
Maple Leafs 7, Penguins 2 — Toronto Breaks Out
The Maple Leafs needed a win that felt like something more than a band-aid, and they got it in Pittsburgh. The early goal helped, but it was the overall pace—quicker, more assertive, and less reactive—that stood out. Auston Matthews looked like a player feeling right physically again, and Dennis Hildeby gave Toronto stable, confident goaltending with 33 saves.
Just as essential was the depth scoring. Oliver Ekman-Larsson opened the night, but goals from Bobby McMann, Nicolas Roy, Easton Cowan, and Nick Robertson showed a lineup pulling in the same direction. Toronto hasn’t played many games this season in which its bottom six has pushed the momentum forward. This time they did, and the whole structure looked better because of it.
Maple Leafs 7, Penguins 2: Toronto Finally Breaks Through
Oilers 4, Kraken 0 — Skinner Shuts the Door
After a shaky week, the Oilers needed something steady, and Stuart Skinner delivered a shutout that felt like a reset. Edmonton controlled the game early with calm puck movement and a penalty kill that refused to break despite six Seattle power plays. With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins returning, the power play finally looked organized again.
The stars handled the rest. McDavid and Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist, but more importantly, they dictated the pace and kept the game away from dangerous territory. Edmonton hasn’t said “calm” very often this year, but that’s exactly what this performance was—measured, confident, and overdue.
Oilers 4, Kraken 0: Skinner Slams the Door
Kings 2, Canucks 1 (OT) — Vancouver Lets One Slide
The Canucks did enough to stay in this tight, messy game, but not enough to win it. A chaotic opening filled with reviews disrupted Vancouver’s rhythm, and although Evander Kane’s breakaway goal sparked some belief, offense was hard to come by. Kevin Lankinen was steady and calm, giving the Canucks every opportunity to steal one.
But Los Angeles is comfortable in low-event hockey, and when Adrian Kempe found open space in overtime, the end felt predictable. Vancouver defended well and battled, but close games demand one more play. On a night when everything was tight, the Canucks couldn’t land it.