Hughes’ goal in Pittsburgh was McDavid-like. Why isn’t it getting more buzz?
First, there’s his overtime efforts against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, where he helped guide the opening three minutes of overtime: the Sabres literally never touched the puck in that time, Hughes driving a remarkable possession bus for the Canucks.
When the Canucks did finally give up possession, the Sabres’ Tage Thompson had gilt-edged chance that Kevin Lankinen needed his best effort to stop. And then after that Hughes showed us all he’d had enough.
It was a highlight reel goal that should be played over and over and over again all season.
But it wasn’t even the best goal Hughes was involved in this week.
No, the best goal was one he scored himself against Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
It deserve more attention that it’s received so far. Sure, the Garland goal has all kinds of wizardry and fun in it and it was also a game-winner. It deserves the attention its getting.
But consider Hughes’ goal vs. Pittsburgh. It’s an end to ender. It features Hughes accelerating through the neutral zone, putting on a crossover skating clinic. It features Hughes barely making a stride in the offensive zone.
And it finishes with the deftest of shots.
Had this been a goal by Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews, surely it would be on highlight reels, on repeat, everywhere.
Hughes’ goal is purity in form.
It’s hockey as it should be played.
The way Hughes is able to manipulate the space around him, to keep defenders constantly on their back foot makes him a modern Bobby Orr.
Orr changed the game in showing how a beautiful skater could thrive attacking from the rear. In the years that followed, teams came to understand how to defend against such attacks, then the game evolved again to figure out how to break down defences that had adjusted to puck-carrying blueliners.
Making defenders move by passing the puck tactically, opening up lanes that weren’t there before, these were a refining of the game that emerged 20 years ago.
Now we’re in another era, where the individual is able to break down the opposition through pure artistry again.
It’s all just that much faster. It takes a special player like Hughes to put it all together.
Both these goals — Wednesday’s against Pittsburgh, Friday’s against Boston’s — are beautiful examples of where the game is now.
Hughes is a fascinating contrast with Orr: Orr’s greatest asset was his amazing straight-ahead speed. He could simply outrace defenders.
Hughes isn’t the NHL’s fastest skater, but he may be the NHL’s most agile. Those cutbacks are his bread and butter. The amazing thing is how he’s using them now not just to control the space around him near the blue-line, but also to create space at the top of the faceoff circles and in the slot.
To create the final gap for his goal on Wednesday, he used the deftest of weight shifts to get into the gap between the Pens’ defenders and then flicked a charming little shot that goalie Tristan Jarry had no chance to adjust to.
So, go tell your friends about this goal. Get them to tell their friends.
Let’s talk about this goal more.