NHL: 3 stories from Sunday night

Each of the three games on the NHL schedule involved Canadian teams and in each of those games a streak was on the line.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Los Angeles Kings to extend their winning streak, while the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers both lost and are continuing to spiral in the opposite direction.

Here are three stories from Sunday night:

Leafs continue winning ways

The Leafs' eventual 4-3 shootout victory over the Kings, their fifth win in a row overall, appeared like a sure thing in the early going.

Despite playing their second game in less than 24 hours, Mike Santorelli and Cody Franson helped stake the Leafs to a 2-0 advantage. 

However, the momentum seemed to shift in favour of Los Angeles late in the second period after a controversial no-call on an apparent high-sticking of the puck by Jake Gardiner. But instead of a stoppage in play, the puck found its way onto the stick of Justin Williams, who tipped it past James Reimer to cut the lead in half. 

A goal by Dwight King with 14 seconds remaining in the middle frame knotted the score at 2-2.

Marion Gaborik's tally just over one minute into the third period then gave the Kings their first lead of the game, but it didn't hold up as James van Riemsdyk replied for the Leafs to force overtime. 

After neither team was able to resolve the matter in the extra five minutes, Joffrey Lopul provided the lone marker for Toronto in the shootout and Reimer slammed the door shut on all three of L.A.'s attempts.  

The Leafs are 9-1-1 in their last 11 games and also improved to 5-1-1 in back-to-back contests this season.

Things have certainly been looking up for the Leafs since a 9-2 debacle against the Nashville Predators on Nov. 18 as they now find themselves within striking distance of top spot in the Atlantic Division.

Flames can't halt losing streak

Following a hot and arguably surprising start to the season, the Flames have hit a bump in the road. Calgary's latest setback was a 2-1 loss to the Blackhawks that brought its season-high losing skid to five games. 

Jiri Hudler opened up the scoring with his 12th goal of the season, but Patrick Sharp came through on a power play and Brandon Saad provided the decisive marker for Chicago. 

Jonas Hiller turned away 26 shots for the Flames, while Antti Raanta made 23 stops for the Blackhawks. 

The encouraging news for the Flames is that they are still very much in the mix for a playoff spot both in the Pacific Division and in the wild card race. 

The Flames are obviously not producing the desired result of late, however in the eyes of some fans it is not for a lack of trying.

While others are not quite as optimistic about the direction the team is heading in.

Oilers run into wall

It was another tough night for the Oilers. In dropping its fourth game in a row and 15th out 16 since Nov. 11, Edmonton was outdone by Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers in a 2-0 decision.

Back on Nov. 9, the Oilers defeated the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, but went on to lose 11 consecutive games — a feat that has been widely publicized. 

Lundqvist, also known as the King, wasn't kept overly busy. He stopped 16 shots to notch his fifth shutout of the season, however his teammates played a part in that by blocking 21 shots.

Dan Girardi's goal late in the first period held up as the game winner and Carl Hagelin added an empty netter to seal the deal. 

Oilers coach Dallas Eakins credited the Rangers' defence, but it still amounted to another frustrating defeat for him and his players.

The Oilers' struggle to score goals on many nights, with this loss being an obvious example.

On the season, they have found the net just 65 times, which places them above only Buffalo, Carolina and Florida in that category and is a trend that has carried over from 2013-14. 

Are the Oilers tanking the season?

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