NHL Wednesday review: Canucks lose in OT, Avalanche and Maple Leafs win

Wednesday's NHL slate included seven games and featured a few upsets plus four eight-goal contests.

Let's talk about what was a great night of hockey action.

Maple Leafs shut out Jets in clash of Canadian titans

The night kicked off with a highly-enticing matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs. These are arguably two of Canada’s best teams, and it was a great test.

In surprising fashion, not a single goal was scored in regulation time. However, there was lots of action with a ton of chances, and both goaltenders played incredibly.

It wasn’t until midway through the overtime period where NHL goal scoring leader Auston Matthews won the game with a deflected goal.

Both teams deserved a point here, and this continues a resurgence for Toronto who now has three wins in their past four games.

Read more: NHL Power Rankings

Canucks comeback falls short against Blues

The Pacific Division-leading Vancouver Canucks hosted the St. Louis Blues on this night of action. Vancouver was looking to avenge a loss to the Blues earlier this month, but to no avail.

The Blues came out flying on the road, winning the first period 2-0, and having a 3-1 lead in the third period. A Pius Suter hat-trick for Vancouver tied the game, but the Blues would take it in overtime through Brayden Schenn's goal.

St. Louis earns another major win as they continue to climb the standings, while Vancouver remains at the top of the Western Conference even with a loss.

Read more: NHL Stanley Cup odds

Panthers dominate visiting Coyotes

The Florida Panthers, currently second in the Eastern Conference, hosted a Western Conference foe in the Arizona Coyotes in one of the night’s early games. 

This game started dramatically with a fight off the opening draw, but other than that, it was all Florida.

The Panthers came out absolutely flying in this game, bulldozing their way to a 3-0 first period finish, adding two more in the second to make it 5-0.

The Coyotes showed heart in the third, outscoring Florida 2-1, but this game was decided a long time before. Florida continues an excellent season with yet another win.

MacKinnon shines again in Avalanche win over Capitals

Playing in their second road game in as many nights, the Washington Capitals were tasked with trying to take down the Colorado Avalanche. As many expected, things didn't go well for Washington.

This game was one-sided from the get-go. Colorado earned a 1-0 lead in the first period, before netting three more unanswered goals in the second period.

It was then an eventful third period that saw two goals apiece, resulting in a 6-2 final for Colorado to continue their push for the top spot in the Western Conference.

Nathan MacKinnon was sensational on this night, scoring four times and adding one assist. He is having a season worthy of MVP status, leading the league in points and assists after Wednesday's games.

Read more: 2023/24 NHL Hart Trophy favourites

Hurricanes best Bruins in Eastern Conference battle

The Boston Bruins hosted the Carolina Hurricanes for a big matchup on this night. These Eastern Conference opponents are expected to go deep into the playoffs, so it was a great test for both teams.

The first two periods were all Carolina, as the Hurricanes frustrated the Bruins on defense while scoring one goal in each period. 

However, the Bruins stormed back to tie the game with two third period goals.

A Jordan Martinook goal for the Hurricanes with less than three minutes to play ultimately was the dagger in a big regulation win for Carolina.

Boston remains at the top of the Eastern Conference, but winning this game was huge for Carolina, who are four points back from the Metropolitan Division lead.

Kraken return to win column, beat the Blackhawks

The injury-riddled Chicago Blackhawks faced off against the Seattle Kraken, and it went about as expected in a Kraken home victory.

The game started off great for Seattle, getting an early 2-0 lead before Chicago made it 2-1 after one period of play. However, that was the last time the game was that close.

The Kraken scored two goals in the second period, and two goals in the third period. The game ended 6-2 for Seattle, and was another win to their total. This was a huge win to end a four-game losing streak after their incredible nine-game winning streak.

Sabres win with road comeback against the Kings

In the latest game of the night, the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Buffalo Sabres. 

There were many factors in favor of the Kings in this game, as they were the home team taking on a much weaker road team who is on the second half of a back to back. However, they could not even secure one point in this game.

Things looked excellent for the Kings early on, earning a 3-1 lead that they took into the second period. However, a determined Sabres team stormed back and tied it, making it 3-3 heading into the third period.

Two more unanswered goals from the Sabres made it a 5-3 game, and that’s exactly where things finished.

This is an embarrassing home loss for an already struggling Kings team. They will need to get back to their winning ways before they find themselves out of a playoff spot.