Hughes led by example. The captain took a stick to the face in opening minute, left for facial repairs, came back in the period with a protective cage and then opened scoring.
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And they did Sunday in a 4-2 matinee triumph at Rogers Arena.
“Their top six is as good any in the league,” Tocchet warned. “You have to make sure with those type of players that you take back ice and you’ve got to hit the weak side. And you want to take (Nikita) Kucherov away.
“Almost like (Connor) McDavid. You can’t let him wind it up. Be spread out.”
Kucherov had three points and was at his quick release and playmaking best as the Lightning looked like they might strike at will. However, all that envious stuff is what made the Canucks’ moxie in the third period impressive.
They were being outhustled in the second period and were outshot 18-5. But the manner in which the Canucks pressed for the equalizer to make it 2-2 is going to resonate with Tocchet. They didn’t quit.
A video review confirmed a good goal but what really stung is the Canucks taking a too-many-men-on-ice infraction to set up the winner. Brandon Point then ended the suspense with an empty-net goal.
“I liked our 5-on-5 play,” Tocchet said post game. “Special teams won the game for them and so did their best players. You can’t have that too many men (penalty) and then that’s it. The Kucherov show. And there you go.
“It’s tough to kill penalties with those type of star players. Certain situations you have to take ice back on the play and it happened twice. You have to learn under pressure what you want to give them. With that last goal — and I know if was a fluke — but you’ve got to take back ice. It (puck) can’t get to Kucherov.”
Here’s what else we learned as the Canuck now face the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday:
Hughes: Don’t get mad, get even
There were several ways the Canucks could have responded when their captain was dropped by a Brandon Hagel high stick in the opening minute, which drew a four-minute penalty.
It sent the Norris Trophy winner to the medical room for facial repairs, but it also sent the first power play unit into disarray without the quarterback to wheel and deal. Erik Brannstrom tried to fill in for Hughes but the collective effort mustered just one shot.
And, of course, it took a protective cage-and-shield combination-clad Hughes to give his club a shot in the arm when he returned. Looking like he was back at the University of Michigan, where he wore a mandatory full cage, he opened the scoring more for what he could feel than see.
It’s the kind of stuff you can’t teach. All instinct and skill.
Hughes came out of the corner to cause the Lightning all kinds of coverage problems and then threw a no-look backhander through traffic that beat a surprised Vasiliveskiy low to the short side. It gave the Canucks, who have coughed up the first goal on 15 occasions this season, some sense of relief.
It also gave Hughes 16 points (4-12) in the last 11 games and was just three points shy of Cale Makar, who leads all blueliners with 35 points. And Hughes is now 10th in all-time franchise goals by a defenceman with 50.
“He’s been doing that all year and that was a big one for us,” lauded Tocchet. “Hell of a goal..”
Lankinen’s head on swivel
The Lightning can strike from anywhere at any time. That’s what makes the Bolts so dangerous.
It’s not just the skill level, it’s the ability to find players at speed and even off a little deception to throw a goaltender off his game. Tampa erased a 1-0 deficit in the second period by striking twice in a less than two-minute span on a pair of plays that had Lankinen prone at the wrong post.
In a frame where they outshot the Canucks by a whopping 18-5 margin, it seemed like only a matter of time before Tampa would score. You could just sense it.
And then the power play, it was a little art of deception.
Kucherov took a pass at the faceoff dot on the right side and Lankinen looked like he was anticipating a slap shot. Kucherov faked it and send a cross-ice feed to a wide-open Brayed Point, who had nothing but net to make it 2-1.
It’s also quick puck movement by the Lightning that caused problems. Victor Hedman sprung Kucherov with a long lead pass and he found a speedy Jake Guenzel down the left wing. He forced Lankinen to make a tough wraparound save.
Demko Miller = home cooking
Like most coaches, Tocchet knows goalies can be cut from a different cloth. They often take a Zen-like approach to their equipment and craft and it’s best to avoid many of them on game day.
“Huge,” said Tocchet. “I probably start Millsy mostly at home 80 or 90 per cent of the time since I’ve been here. He gets the puck and he gets it in deep and that gets your team ready to go.
“And then Demko makes a good save early and that gives the guys juice. Like Lanks (Lankinen) has done, but I don’t want our goalie to have to be our best player in the first period and drive the pace.”
In his career-best 103 points last season to finishing ninth in league scoring, Miller led the club with nine first goals of the game, 20 goals at home and 28 outside the division. Demko was 21-5-1 at home last season with a 2.32 goals-against average, .925 saves percentage and four shutouts.
