From Nathan MacKinnon becoming the NHL's first 30-goal scorer to Detroit finishing a home-and-home sweep of Washington, the league delivered high drama and harsh injury news. Here is the full breakdown from December 15-21.
Game of the Week: MacKinnon Powers Avalanche Past Surging Wild
Colorado Avalanche 5, Minnesota Wild 1 (December 21 | Grand Casino Arena)
Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to become the league's first 30-goal scorer while Colorado ended Minnesota's seven-game win streak with a dominant 5-1 road win. MacKinnon now has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in an eight-game point streak and is the second-fastest player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to reach 30 goals (35 games).
Cale Makar posted a goal and two assists, Brock Nelson added a goal and two assists and both Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog finished with two assists. Colorado has won five straight and stretched its point streak to eight (7-0-1).
Seider's Overtime Magic: Red Wings Complete the Sweep
Detroit Red Wings 3, Washington Capitals 2 (OT) (December 21 | Little Caesars Arena)
Moritz Seider scored at 4:36 of overtime to cap a home-and-home sweep of Washington. He also had a goal and an assist in Detroit's 5-2 road win on Saturday, giving the Red Wings momentum as they improve to 21-13-3.
Lucas Raymond and John Leonard scored, while Cam Talbot made 31 saves. Ethen Frank scored both goals for Washington as the Caps dropped five of six (1-3-2).
Crosby Makes Penguins History
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Montreal Canadiens 3 (December 21)
Sidney Crosby recorded a goal and an assist to pass Mario Lemieux (1,723 points) for the franchise scoring record with 1,724. It was a milestone moment for a player who has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh and the Penguins needed the win to stay in the playoff mix.
McDavid Reclaims the Scoring Lead
Edmonton Oilers 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3 (December 21)
Connor McDavid logged a goal and two assists to move ahead of MacKinnon in the scoring race. His 2025 calendar-year totals are now 41 goals and 100 assists for 141 points (including playoffs), his fifth career 140-point season.
Teams on Fire ??
Colorado Avalanche
The Avs own the league's best record at 26-2-7, riding a five-game win streak and an eight-game point streak. MacKinnon and Makar are playing at MVP and Norris levels.
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit is 7-2-0 in its last nine. Seider, Raymond and Talbot have stabilized a lineup that is suddenly dangerous in the East.
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa has quietly stacked wins to climb back into the playoff picture at 18-13-4.
Teams Struggling ??
Washington Capitals
Washington has lost five of six and looked shaky defensively during the Detroit sweep. At 19-12-5, they need a reset quickly.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets sit at 15-17-2 after a hot start. Inconsistency has them sliding toward the outside of the playoff picture.
Player of the Week Performances
- Nathan MacKinnon: First to 30 goals, eight-game point streak with 15 points.
- Connor McDavid: Three points vs. Vegas to reclaim the scoring lead.
- Sidney Crosby: Passed Lemieux for the franchise scoring record.
- Moritz Seider: OT winner vs. Washington and three points in the home-and-home.
- Ethen Frank: Four goals across two games vs. Detroit despite the losses.
Standings Snapshot (Through December 21)
Eastern Conference Top 5
- Carolina Hurricanes (22-10-3)
- Detroit Red Wings (21-13-3)
- Boston Bruins (20-16-1)
- New Jersey Devils (20-15-1)
- Montreal Canadiens (19-12-5)
Western Conference Top 5
- Colorado Avalanche (26-2-7, 59 points)
- Dallas Stars (24-7-5)
- Minnesota Wild (22-10-5)
- Edmonton Oilers (18-13-6)
- Vegas Golden Knights (16-8-10)
Injury Report: Major Stars Sidelined
Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks) - Out until January
Bedard suffered a separated right shoulder on December 12 and has been placed on injured reserve. He has 44 points in 31 games and has driven 48.4% of Chicago's goals this season.
J.T. Miller (New York Rangers) - Week to week
The Rangers' captain left after a big hit on December 20 and is listed week to week with an upper-body injury. His Olympic availability is not expected to be impacted.
Other notable injuries: Frank Nazar (CHI) out roughly four weeks; Tristan Jarry (EDM) out a couple of weeks; Jonathan Marchessault (NSH) day to day.
Must-See Games This Week (December 22-27)
- St. Louis Blues at Tampa Bay Lightning — Monday, December 22 | 7:00 PM ET
- Vancouver Canucks at Philadelphia Flyers — Monday, December 22 | 7:30 PM ET
- Dallas Stars at Detroit Red Wings — Tuesday, December 23 | 6:30 PM ET
- Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins — Tuesday, December 23 | 7:00 PM ET
- Utah Mammoth at Colorado Avalanche — Tuesday, December 23 | 9:00 PM ET
- Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers — Tuesday, December 23 | 9:00 PM ET
- New York Rangers at New York Islanders — Saturday, December 27 | 6:00 PM ET
- Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs — Saturday, December 27 | 7:00 PM ET
- Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights — Saturday, December 27 | 10:00 PM ET
Final Thoughts
MacKinnon's 30-goal milestone, Crosby's franchise record and McDavid's scoring surge defined a week that also reminded the league how fragile depth can be. With Detroit rising, Washington wobbling and major injuries piling up, the stretch to the Olympic break is going to reshuffle the bracket quickly.
