Hughes scores two goals, defeats the Vancouver Canucks and beats the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 – Edmonton
Quinn Hughes scored twice as the struggling Vancouver Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Saturday.
“Two penalties, two power play goals, that was a big part of it,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “And then giving up those two was the difference in the game. We were able to score one goal, they score two, and we lose by one — and special teams are usually the difference in a hockey game.”
Danton Heinen added a goal and JT Miller had two assists for the Canucks (20-15-10), who entered the game with losses in six of their last seven games.
The Oilers (29-13-3) got two goals in the second period from Leon Draisaitl, but couldn’t find the equalizer.
Draisaitl continues to lead the NHL in goals with 33 this season.
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Vancouver goaltender Thatcher Demko stopped 13 of 15 shots he faced and Stuart Skinner made 24 saves for Edmonton.
The Oilers saw their four-game winning streak snapped and are now 8-2-0 in their last 10 contests.
Fireworks erupted in the final seconds of the game after Connor McDavid collided with Canucks winger Connor Garland. Brawls broke out between several players, with both McDavid and Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers being hurled and forcing penalties in the game.
“It’s hockey, it happens, it’s intense — it’s just the way things go sometimes,” Draisaitl said after the game.
Fast food
Canucks: After going four games without a goal on the power play, Vancouver went 2-for-4 with the man advantage. The Canucks entered the game with their power play ranking 15th in the league at 21 percent.
Oilers: Edmonton couldn’t pull off a third-period comeback, but coming back from a deficit is nothing new for the Oilers. The team overcame three-goal gaps to win its previous two games and was 12-11-0 when its opponent scored first this season.
The decisive moment
Hughes fired a shot from the top of the faceoff circle at the 18-minute mark of the first period. The puck hit the stick of Edmonton forward Adam Henrique and sailed past Skinner to give Vancouver a 3-0 lead.
Key statistics
Quinn Hughes is the first Canucks defenseman to score two goals on the power play in nearly a decade. Yannick Weber was the last to accomplish this feat on April 9, 2015.
the next
Oilers: Host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
Canucks: Wrap up a three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres.
& Edition 2025 The Canadian Press
