Just when it looked like the Vancouver Canucks were going to get some momentum going after snapping a three-game losing skid, they are back down again, as they suffered an 8-5 loss to the reigning Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida on Monday evening.
Despite the loss, Canucks star defenseman Quinn Hughes did something worth remembering for a long time in the contest, as he recorded not just one, not two, but three points against Florida. That performance extended Hughes' streak to three games of multi-point games, which also earned him a place in an extremely exclusive franchise club.
Via the NHL's official website: “Hughes, who had four assists on Sunday and three on Nov. 11, became the second defenseman in franchise history with three consecutive three-point games. Paul Reinhart did it during the 1989-90 season. Hughes ranks 10th in franchise history with 34 career three-point games.”
The Canucks started the game on fire, with back-to-back goals from Drew O'Connor and Jake DeBrusk, with Hughes being credited for assists in both scores. But Florida took it from there, as the Panthers dominated the possession battle and made life hard for Vancouver on both ends of the ice.
The Panthers scored the next five goals before Vancouver could find the back of the net again in the third period, with Hughes assisting on an Elias Pettersson goal to trim Florida's lead down to two in the third period. Petterson and Filip Hronek then scored back-to-back goals to start the third period, tying the score at 5-5. That turned out to be the last hurrah of Vancouver, as the Panthers finished with three unanswered goals.
Hughes now has 10 points in the last three Vancouver games, including a four-point night in the Canucks' 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on the road on Sunday. Before that, the former Norris Memorial Trophy winner had three points in a 5-3 Canucks defeat at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets at home.
