Quinn Hughes is sidelined week-to-week with suspected hand injury, while Elias Pettersson should return in a week from an injury sustained last Monday
They’ve done it before, but can they do it again?
The captain wasn’t injured, but his ego was likely bruised in being assessed a boarding major and game misconduct at 12:29 of the opening period for his end boards hit on Senators centre Josh Norris.
In the absence of Hughes, the Canucks built a 4-1 lead before hanging on for a 4-3 victory after the Senators staged a late third-period rally.
Hughes was a game-time decision Dec. 23, took the warm-up and played well, even though he had injury issues. Was that prudent? What about aggravating the injury?
“He could have hurt what he has, but wouldn’t have hurt it any more,” reasoned Tocchet. “He’s just a tough kid and he won us the game (4-3 over San Jose) with a couple of assists. He gutted it out for us.
“What happened was you talk to doctors, you talk to the player and then you put your coach’s hat on and you come up with whether he plays or not.”
Then came the colossal collapse Saturday in which the Canucks saw a comfortable 4-1 lead with five minutes remaining evaporate into a stunning 5-4 overtime shocker against the struggling Seattle Kraken.
“Maybe if I’m boxing my guy out, that puck (Jaden Schwartz shot) may not hit me and go in off my ass. It’s huge in the end.
“That (loss) is not one you just get over, but we have to move on. Today we watched a lot of video had a good practice and brought a lot of energy. Working on things we need to get better at should help us.”
For Juulsen, a depth blueliner who has played predominately in a third-pairing role — as opposed to moving up to a second pairing — challenges have increased. He’s always been a well liked team-first guy but the asks have increased.
“You’re playing against higher-skilled guys,” added Juulsen. “Communication with Soucy, all the defencemen and forwards, we can all do the job any night.”
It’s the small things that could add up to filling the giant Hughes void. You don’t simply replace a generational player who could lead the Canucks in scoring this season, vie for a second-consecutive Norris Trophy and also gain Hart Trophy consideration.
“He’s the heart and soul of this team and brings his game every night, which everybody in here appreciates,” added Juulsen. “You’re seeing a player that we might not see again for a while and is one of a kind.
“We just have to do our jobs and stick to the plan and have 45-second shifts as the max. That game in Ottawa. He (Hughes) gets kicked out early and we came out with a win.”
“Quinn is a game-changer,” said Myers. “There’s not a lot of guys in the league who can do things that he does. We have a team game plan and we can’t be trying to force something out of nothing.”
“When I make the turn, my eyes crossed paths with Brock (Boeser) and Millsy (Miller) and I made a bad play,” admitted Myers. “Stuff like that happens and you’ve got to move on. We addressed it and having that killer instinct.”
The Canucks need this checklist of do’s and don’ts in a collective effort to fill the Hughes void:
— Drop passes at the offensive blueline, where Hughes is always stationed to make something happen, depend on positioning and communication so they don’t get picked off for an odd-man break.
— Point shots can’t be blocked to create turnovers. Hughes learned a juke move at the blueline to dart down low to the left and release a shot to the right from a sharp angle. He added wheeling and dealing behind the net for better looks and passing opportunities.
— On the Myers gaffe, Hughes would have probably pivoted a few times to find the best attack angle or playmaking option by creating matchup confusion with his fleet feet and quick mind.