During a challenge on the Chicago Blackhawks' second goal of the game (which was called back for goaltender interference), Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube pretty much begged for his team to get going.

Three minutes later, the Maple Leafs give up a shorthanded goal, allowing the Blackhawks to take a 2-0 lead.

It was a difficult couple of games for Toronto. First, they fell in overtime to the San Jose Sharks after having a 2-1 lead entering the third period. Then on Saturday, after allowing a late second-period goal to go down 3-2 to the Edmonton Oilers, Berube hoped there'd be a third-period comeback.

There wasn't.

Berube went as far as calling out his leaders following that game in hopes that it'd spark something in this struggling Maple Leafs team.

After two-and-a-half periods of wondering when a spark would come, Auston Matthews won a face-off back to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and his shot beat Spencer Knight to cut Chicago's lead in half.

That was the spark which lit a fire.

Late in the game, Toronto drew a penalty, and the Maple Leafs headed to the power play.

William Nylander won the puck from behind the net and fed Matthews. He turned, fired, and beat Knight for his 14th goal of the season. As he skated towards the boards, he motioned the crowd for more noise, minutes after they were booing their team.

AUSTON MATTHEWS🚨

HOLY MACKINAW! THE POWERPLAY TIES IT! pic.twitter.com/kafSPEmqWq

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 17, 2025

Ten seconds after a much-needed power play goal, Troy Stecher throws the puck into Chicago's zone and Dakota Joshua puts the puck past Knight, sealing a 3-2 comeback win on Joe Bowen night.

DAKOTA JOSHUA 🚨

WHAT A GOAL! pic.twitter.com/88UFhJR1zD

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 17, 2025

Power play comes up big, maybe a shift coming?

Well, this was another tough one. Until it wasn't.

Entering Tuesday's game, the Maple Leafs were second-last in the NHL in terms of power play success. They're passing has been fairly strong as of late, though the players have struggled to gain any "Grade A" opportunities.

It was going to be a challenge against the Blackhawks either way, given they're fourth in the league on the penalty kill.

On their first power play, the Maple Leafs gave up a shorthanded goal. On their second power play (which was split between the second and third periods), Toronto only mustered one shot on goal.

Their third power play late in the game was different.

It was a frustrating start to the final man advantage. Chicago cleared the puck early, and it didn't feel like they'd be able to get anything going. But after Nylander found Matthews to beat Knight with a nice shot, maybe this can spark something?

Sometimes all it takes is one goal to light a fire. Could this be it? We'll see.

Joseph Woll's return

The 27-year-old got his first start for Toronto since going down with a lower-body injury on Dec. 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes, and it was what you'd expect.

Woll's movement, puck tracking, and positioning were strong all night against the Blackhawks. He gave Toronto a chance to remain in the game, however, and his teammates answered late in the game.

If there's a goal he'd like to have back, it'd probably be the first one from Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser. Woll has a clear sight of the shot from Wyatt, but cannot get his glove on it before it beats him.

On the other goal, there was no chance for Woll to get over, since it was a two-on-one.

Woll finished the game stopping 23 of 25 shots against the Blackhawks.

The Senators are feeling good about themselves after a 3–2 victory in Winnipeg. They were able to win two of the three games on their latest road trip, and now they can start looking up in the hilariously tight Eastern standings again.

The Senators now stand just two games over .500, four points out of a playoff spot, but if their goaltending over the final 50 games looks anything like it did over the first 32, the playoffs won't be in the cards.

There’s no question that Linus Ullmark and Leevi Merilainen have had some fine games and some big moments. For example, it was nice to see Ullmark win twice on the just-completed road trip. But in a conference this tight, filled with close games and three points being doled out so frequently, the overall, below-average goaltending will sink the Senators’ playoff chances.

And looking at the first two months as a body of work, below average is probably a kind description

Both Ullmark and Merilainen have goals-against averages north of three goals per game and save percentages south of .880. Ullmark has played roughly three-quarters of the games so far, makes $8.25 million per season, and currently ranks 40th in the NHL in goals-against average and 48th in save percentage.

Yes, team performance will always influence goaltender numbers, but even Ullmark’s biggest fans would have to admit that his seasonal performance so far hasn't been good enough.

It was around this time last December that Ullmark shook off a sketchy start with a personal seven-game winning streak, and the Senators and their fans would love some of that right about now.

In a low-scoring game in Winnipeg on Monday, Ullmark gave up a shaky goal on a long shot by Logan Stanley that looked like it was going to stand up as the difference in another loss. Yes, that Logan Stanley, who has scored exactly one goal in each of his last five NHL seasons.

But after Jake Sanderson forced overtime on a lucky deflection off Mark Scheifele, Tuesday morning's headlines, social media, and talk radio were a lot kinder to Ullmark than they would have been. The bounce gave Ullmark a chance to atone, and did he ever.  The big Swede made a couple of massive OT saves to keep the game alive, setting the table for Brady Tkachuk’s game-winner.

That was welcome news for Sens fans, who continue to hope they get more of that, and that the Vezina Trophy–winning version of Ullmark soon shows up in Ottawa for an extended run.

Let's be honest, a goalie making $8.25 million shouldn't be the topic of a conversation that includes concerns about sketchy goals, which should only happen once in a blue moon. The dialogue should be about his top 10 numbers and how he's so steady and reliable that if he does let in the odd softy, his teammates rally to try and pick him up.

At two games above 500, the reality is the Senators have already burned through most of their margin for error. So, with 50 games to play, here's what they face.

Over the past two seasons, the eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference got in with 91 points. Right now, the Senators have 34 points with 50 games to play. Of the 100 points still available, they’ll need 57 of them to reach that 91-point mark. That means they'll require something like a 25-18-7 record the rest of the way.

But in 2022, it took 100 points to earn eighth place. If that’s the case again, and I doubt it will be, the Senators would need 66 points in their final 50 games, or something like a 29-13-8 finish. That would be a tall order

That’s not to say everything this season falls entirely on the goaltending. The Senators have a good roster, but not good depth, so they need to get and stay healthy. Or make a trade. Shane Pinto and Thomas Chabot need to return and thrive, ensuring proper slotting throughout the lineup; they need their five-on-five scoring to improve; and they need better results on the penalty kill.

If the playoff cut line stays at 91 points, the Senators might still squeak in with the status quo in goal, but it's not likely. And if that line climbs any higher, they can forget it. Regardless, if you do show up in mid-April with leaky goaltending, you won't get to May.

But on the other hand, if Ullmark or Merilainen can rediscover their mojo, as they've done before, then maybe something special will begin to simmer in Ottawa. 

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

This article was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Read more:

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Senators Comeback Effort Wasted In 3-2 Regulation Loss In Minnesota
After A Hot Start, Senators' Veteran Goes Ice Cold And Now Joins Injury List
Popular Former Ottawa Senator Forward Attempting Comeback At Age 38
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The Philadelphia Flyers are about to get a huge boost at time when they may have needed it the absolute most.

Losers of three straight, all in overtime and the shootout, the Flyers announced Tuesday that veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, at long last, has been activated from injured reserve, ending a nine-month absence due to a ruptured triceps.

Ristolainen, 31, has not played an NHL game for the Flyers since a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators back on March 11, but his return against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night will put an end to his 280 days between games.

In a corresponding transaction to make the necessary roster spot, the Flyers assigned defenseman Ty Murchison, who played very well in a brief two-game cameo at the NHL level, to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Did Quinn Hughes Diss Flyers for Big Trade Dud?Quinn Hughes has been connected to the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> ever since Rick Tocchet took over as head coach, and there's a chance the superstar defenseman is miffed a reunion didn't take place.

The burly 6-foot-4 Ristolainen was playing some of the best overall hockey of his career for the Flyers under John Tortorella last season, scoring four goals, 15 assists, and 19 points in 63 games to the tune of a +3 rating and an average ice time of 20:31 - his most under Tortorella in his three seasons as head coach.

How Ristolainen fares transitioning to his third full-time head coach in five seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers remains to be seen, but if the Finn can return to the form Tortorella and Brad Shaw coached him to in the previous two seasons, the Flyers will be in for a real treat as they continue their playoff push into the winter.

The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have assigned defenseman Ty Murchison to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. 

The Flyers sending Murchison back to Lehigh Valley comes with key blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen being ready to start his 2025-26 season. As a result of this, Murchison will now be looking to continue to grow his game with the Phantoms. 

Murchison was on his first career NHL call-up before being assigned back to the Phantoms. During it, he appeared in three games for the Flyers, where he recorded zero points, two blocks, five hits, and a plus-1 rating. Overall, the 6-foot-2 defenseman showed promise during his first chance on the Flyers' roster.

Now, Murchison will be aiming to make a big impact with the Phantoms after being sent back down to the AHL. In 21 games this season with Lehigh Valley, he has recorded one goal, three assists, four points, 30 penalty minutes, and a plus-9 rating. 

Murchison was selected by the Flyers with the 158th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In 25 career AHL games over two seasons with the Phantoms, he has posted two goals, four assists, six points, 36 penalty minutes, and a plus-11 rating.