Quinn Hughes scored twice and the host Vancouver Canucks beat the league-leading Washington Capitals 2-1 on Saturday.
The performance extended Hughes㽶Ƶֱ point streak to five games with five goals and two assists across the stretch.
Defenceman Filip Hronek contributed a pair of assists for the Canucks (21-17-10) and Kevin Lankinen stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced.
The lone Capitals goal from Pierre-Luc Dubois came at the 12:31 mark of the third period when he knocked in a loose puck from the crease for his 10th of the season.
Charlie Lindgren made 23 saves for a Washington (33-11-5) side that saw its six-game win streak snapped. The result marked the Capitals㽶Ƶֱ first regulation loss since Dec. 29.
It was a much-needed victory for Vancouver, which came in with losses in four of its last five outings and remains three points behind the Calgary Flames for the Western Conference㽶Ƶֱs second wild-card spot.
He waits, he shoots, HE SCORES❗️
㽶Ƶֱ Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
TAKEAWAYS
Canucks: Coach Rick Tocchet mixed up his forward lines, playing star centre Elias Pettersson with wingers Nils Hoglander and Linus Karlsson and moving Pius Suter up to skate between Jake DeBrusk and Conor Garland. Defenceman Elias Pettersson, called up from the American Hockey League㽶Ƶֱs Abbotsford Canucks earlier this week, played his first NHL game alongside bruising blueliner Vincent Desharnais.
Capitals: The visitors got ample chances early only to see Lankinen make a series of stops. Alex Ovechkin tested the Canucks㽶Ƶֱ goalie just over four minutes into the game when he launched a rocket from the top of the circle off of a face off but Lankinen got his elbow into the puck㽶Ƶֱs path, sending it up into the netting.
KEY MOMENT
Lindgren was on his way to the bench with just over a minute to go in the game when Canucks㽶Ƶֱ winger Danton Heinen sailed a shot toward the Washington net. The Capitals㽶Ƶֱ goalie sprinted back and dove to make a glove save for a highlight-reel worthy save.
KEY STAT
Hughes㽶Ƶֱ second goal of the night marked the 57th of his career, tying him with Ed Jovanovski for the sixth most by a defenceman in Canucks㽶Ƶֱ history.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Begin a three-game road swing Monday against the Blues in St. Louis.
Capitals: Visit the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
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