If there’s one thing the Canucks have managed to do this season, it’s play well on Saturday nights
And thank goodness for that because in the midst of this miserable season, the Canucks’ captain is putting together one of the great all-time seasons by a defenceman.
It’s been a blessing, it’s given us something to watch, but also depressing since it should add up to so much more.
Facing up against the team with the most points in the NHL so far this season, you figured this won’t go well given how badly the rest of the week has gone.
But this is also Saturday night, and if there’s one thing the Canucks have managed to do this season, it’s play well on Saturday nights.
Remarkably, coming into the game the Canucks were 7-2-2 on Saturday nights.
That included impressive wins the previous two Saturdays over the Oilers and the Leafs.
Now this win wasn’t quite as impressive as those games, but it was a win and that’s all that matters.
Hughes scored both Canucks goals as the home team ground out a 2-0 lead against the Washington Capitals, who came into this game having won six straight games.
Minute muncher
Hughes plays huge minutes every night.
And yet again he was the Canucks’ minutes leader.
The Canucks consistently get out of trouble when he’s on the ice.
And then there are nights like this one where he scores two goals and is the entire offence.
Mediocre offence
This was a boring game at both ends of the ice.
The Capitals are the NHL’s best defensive team by goals against.
They gave little away to Vancouver. And the Canucks, who have had some defensive struggles lately, were stout at their end of the ice too.
All hail Lankinen
If there’s a vice-MVP this season, it’s Kevin Lankinen, as everyone knows.
It’s because of games like this one where he came up big on the few moments he needed to.
There were a couple goalmouth scrambles where he covered the goal line well and kicked away problems well.
Dedication
The best moment was him laying out for a block in the game’s final moments, taking a shot away from Jakob Chychrun, the Washington blueliner who was hammering away point shots with abandon.
Dubois loves the Canucks
Pierre-Luc Dubois has just 10 goals this season: three are against Vancouver.
NEXT GAME
Monday
4:30 p.m., Enterprise Center, TV: ESPN Pacific, Radio: Sportsnet 650