The Toronto Maple Leafs posted a 6-2 victory over the Washington Capitals and are enjoying the confines of home. In Montreal, the Canadiens dropped their second game to the Buffalo Sabres in as many nights, while the Calgary Flames kept the line moving with a hard-fought victory in Arizona.
But amid a busy schedule of games, it may have been Pat Quinn who stole the show.
Here are four stories from Saturday night.
Pat Quinn's presence felt
The Toronto Maple Leafs honoured Pat Quinn - a former player, coach, and general manager with the team - in a video tribute highlighting his career achievements prior to hosting the Washington Capitals at Air Canada Centre.
Quinn spent seven seasons behind Toronto's bench from 1998-2006. He won 300 games during that span, while the Leafs made six playoff appearances under his guidance.
Quinn passed away on Nov. 23 at the age of 71 following a lengthy illness.
Speculation arose that Quinn was watching over the Leafs because of several coincidences involving the No. 23 -- which just so happened to be Quinn's jersey number during his playing days in Toronto.
Leafs enjoying the comforts of home
Following the emotional pre-game ceremony, the Leafs went to work, striking twice in the first period and then 23 seconds into the middle frame to build a 3-0 cushion. The Capitals got on the board midway through the second on a power play goal by Troy Brouwer, but the Leafs piled on two more goals and held a comfortable 5-1 lead heading into the final 20 minutes of play.
With the game out of hand late in the third, Leafs' defenceman Korbinian Holzer and Tom Wilson of the Capitals decided to exchange punches, with one of Holzer's blows accidentally landing in the face of linesman Steve Miller. Both players were assessed fighting majors and 10-minute misconducts.
Holzer, who will be hoping to escape further discipline for his actions, had this to say after the incident:
"I hope they see that was not intentional," he said. "I'm not a guy that goes after the linesman or the referees in general. I'm sorry for that and I hope he's fine."
But as the clock wound down, the crowd roared in celebration of the eventual 6-2 victory.
The Leafs have now won three-straight games at home, where they improved to 8-6-0 on the season.
Canadiens can't solve Sabres
The Canadiens were only able to salvage one point from their home-and-home series with the Sabres. After losing to Buffalo in regulation time on Friday, the Habs returned home on Saturday where they were outdone 4-3 in a shootout.
Brendan Gallagher, who earlier in the day agreed to a six-year extension with Montreal, replied with his sixth goal of the season to knot the score at one apiece at the 7:51 mark of the second period.
Buffalo regained the lead just over five minutes into the third period, but Lars Eller and Max Pacioretty each found the net to put Montreal in control 3-2.
However, the pesky Sabres wouldn't go away. Buffalo centre Brian Flynn had his moment in the spotlight as he tied the game with his third goal of the season and then provided the only marker for either side in the shootout.
As a result, the Canadiens have company at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Tampa Bay cruised past the Ottawa Senators 4-1 to match Montreal with 34 points.
With the victory, the Sabres managed to climb above Edmonton and Carolina and now find themselves chasing Philadelphia for 26th place in the overall picture.
Flames continue to impress
Following their 3-0 victory over the Coyotes, Calgary is now on the verge of taking over first place in the loaded Pacific Division. Vancouver and Anaheim each have 33 points, while the Flames are in striking distance with 32.
Karri Ramo, who earned his fifth straight win, stopped all 26 shots he faced. At the other end of the ice, it was TJ Brodie's goal late in the first period that held up as the game-winner.
Johnny Gaudreau picked up an assist on the first goal and then added one of his own to double the lead. Jiri Hudler, who also chipped in with two assists, then capped off the scoring with a power play conversion.
The Coyotes will have to deal with the Flames again on Tuesday in Calgary. On the other hand, the Flames will have to wait until Dec. 20 to test their luck against Vancouver and will not go head-to-head with Anaheim until late January.
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