Hughes has goal and assist as Canucks beat Sharks 3-1

Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.

J.T. Miller and Sam Lafferty also scored to help Vancouver end its second two-game skid of the season. Thatcher Demko finished with 27 saves.

Thomas Hertl had a goal for San Jose, which lost for the fourth time in five games since a two-game win streak after an 0-10-1 start. The Sharks fell to 0-8-0 away from home. Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 34 saves.

“Turnovers hurt us a lot during the course of the night,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “We had complete control and just turn pucks over too much tonight against that team, which they can really thrive on and just didn’t do enough to win.”

San Jose appeared to get on the scoreboard first in the second period as William Eklund put it past Demko in the crease, only for it to be overturned for goalie interference after a challenge.

Hughes opened the scoring, firing a wrist shot past Blackwood with 6:53 left in the second period. It was his career high-tying eighth of the season, matching his totals in 2019-20 and 2021-22. He now has 30 points, tops in the NHL.

“I was second in the league for defensemen last year,” Quinn said. "You know, it doesn’t really mean much at the end of the day. I wanted to be in the playoffs, and be on a successful team and successful organization.”

Lafferty’s short-handed goal with 1 second left in the second period made it 2-0. Lafferty won the puck in the Sharks’ corner from Hertl, and after Teddy Blueger’s shot was denied, Lafferty scored on the rebound.

Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said the goal was an example of what Vancouver wanted to fix after its 4-3 loss to Seattle on Saturday.

“He snaps up, takes the puck from the guy, (Anthony) Beauvillier makes a nice play, that’s the stuff we got to get better at. We talked about that and we got a goal from it,” Tocchet said.

Hertl said the goal against the man advantage was a momentum killer for the Sharks.

“The power play has to be better. It’s especially on me,” he said. “I have to make a stronger play and we just can’t give up a goal with a second left.”

San Jose pulled within one on the power play with Hertl converting on a pass from Calen Addison only 48 seconds into the third period.

Miller then tipped in a rebound of Brock Boeser's shot at 7:10 of the third to make it 3-1.

Prince Harry performed the ceremonial puck drop to mark the countdown to the 2025 Invictus Games. He was the second royal to attend a Canucks game, with Queen Elizabeth II having taken part in a ceremonial puck drop in a preseason game between the Sharks and Canucks in 2002.

UP NEXT

Sharks: At Seattle on Wednesday night.

Canucks: At Colorado on Wednesday night.

___

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL