Canucks Player Grades: Brock Boeser the hero in 5-4 OT win at Nashville

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You always need context when referring to a team’s most important and most dynamic player.

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And when it comes to Quinn Hughes, the skill that invites superlative summations are matched by the wonderment of his will to win.

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The Vancouver Canucks captain returned Monday in Nashville after missing four games with a groin injury. Trying to get his club back to the .500 performance bar amid a plethora of injuries that have crippled the quest for consistency and victories had him in familiar territory of what became a pressure-packed 5-4 overtime victory over the Predators.

However, as much as Hughes was in the spotlight, so was the Canucks blowing a 4-2 lead in the third period. The Predators struck for a pair of goals in less than five minutes to turn what looked like a methodical victory into extra time.

And that’s where Hughes has often had his way by controlling possession before making the right play at the right time, whether passing or taking a shot. He played 3:10 of the five-minute overtime, but it was Brock Boeser’s second goal of the night with less than two seconds remaining that sealed the deal.

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Off a cornerboards scramble, Elias Pettersson chopped the puck to the winger for his backhanded winner to give the Canucks a 2-1-0 record on their three-game road trip.

“I saw them (Predators) lose the draw and the puck was up for grabs, so I tried to go into the corner to get it and get it out of there so we could try and make a play,” said Boeser. “I batted it out of there and Petey made a tremendous pass and I’m happy we could sneak that one out.

“Hughes was great. He’s obviously our best player and drives the play and getting him back means a lot to our team.”

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Last March, Hughes missed four games and then had points in six straight. In his seventh game, a 4-3 shootout win at New Jersey, he had six shots and nine attempts and logged a career-high 31:38. Two nights earlier at Madison Square Garden, he was clocked at a league-best 24.56 miles per hour. Better than Connor McDavid (23.97).

So, it wasn’t surprising that the speed of Hughes was quickly evident Monday. So was using his stick and brain to defend.

And so was his presence. He logged 27:54, higher his league-leading average of 26:38, and his giddy-up caused matchup problems.

Hughes joined the rush, easily gained the offensive zone, and fed a drop pass to Evander Kane for a Grade A scoring chance. However, the high-risk, high-reward play of pinching Hughes bit the Canucks on the opening goal. The captain was up ice, Tyler Myers was on the defensive wall trying to negate the pass to Filip Forsberg, and centre Elias Pettersson was late in retreat for back-pressure support.

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However, the offensive-zone presence of Hughes drew a key second-period slashing penalty and it led to better power play rotations and Hughes forcing Juuse Saros to make a glove save off a wrister. The advantage turned into a 5-on-3 for 55 seconds and Hughes unloaded a 90 m.p.h. slapper before Jake DeBrusk got his stick on a Boeser feed at 5-on-4 to break a 1-1 deadlock.

Yes, Kane is able

What we also learned Monday is Kane is finally finding his game. The big left winger has been slow to round into the form the Canucks need. He must be hard on pucks, hard on the opposition, and get to the net. All that happened in the opening period.

Kane had a scoring chance when Hughes drove the play, shifted left, and threw a pass into the slot where Kane was off balance. However, he then took a Filip Hronek feed and unleashed a heavy slapper that deflected off a Predator stick for his first of the season.

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A hopeful sign of improving times came to fruition in the third period when he pounced on a loose puck on a delayed penalty to make it 4-2.

“We were really good in the first two periods and really took it to them, but we’ve got to get better at playing with the lead,” said Kane. “Not changing our plan and retreating and close out games better. It was nice to get a goal that counted and follow up with another shortly after and hopefully get on a roll.”

Canucks head coach Adam Foote liked the way his club hung in after the Predators stormed back.

“We could have easily been up four or five goals, but they (refs) missed a couple of (penalty) calls and the one on Kaner (Kane) was actually the other way and a dive,” said Foote. “I’m happy that we stayed within ourselves. We stayed calm when they tied it. That’s what I liked.”

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REPORT CARDS

Evander Kane (B)

Playing faster, harder, smarter. Got first goal of year by working way to prime shooting area.

Elias Pettersson (C)

No shots but set up winner, two assists. Good on PK, PP feeds, draws need work (47 per cent).

Kiefer Sherwood (C+)

First-liner. Foiled on breakaway, three giveaways, bad hooking minor. Four shots. Five hits.

Jake DeBrusk (B)

Two chances to roof PP chance before scoring. Six shots, eight attempts. Four turnovers.

Luke Reichel

Made plays along wall. Could wing it when Blueger returns. No shots, 47 per cent in circle.

Brock Boeser (B)

Set up DeBrusk goal, takes feed from Willander for 3-1 lead. Delivers dagger in OT. Six shots.

Drew O’Connor (C+)

Playing with more confidence after two-goal game. Learning how to play on the PK.

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Aatu Raty (C+)

Knocked puck up off top of net and shot goes over bar. Draws penalty. Takes penalty.

Mackenzie MacEachern (C)

Aggressive on the forecheck. Had a good presence on line with O’Connor and Raty.

Arshdeep Bains (C)

Misses net on lead feed from Sasson as puck bounces on poor ice. Concert Sunday.

Max Sasson (C)

Showed good wheels but nothing to show offensively with one shot. Plus player.

Linus Karlsson (C)

Quiet night in limited minutes but started sequence to spring Bains chance.

Quinn Hughes (A)

Ability to gain zone put defenders on their heels. Seven shots, 10 attempts, two blocks.

Tyler Myers (C)

Caught on wall trying to break up first goal pass. Had good scoring chance in first.

Marcus Pettersson (C)

For veteran defender, struggled with decisions, positioning on Predators’ PP goal.

Filip Hronek (C+)

Made smart pass to set up Kane’s goal, but also caught on Nashville second tally.

Elias (D-Petey) Pettersson (B-)

Worked well in all-rookie tandem with Willander. Missed on Grade A shot over net.

Tom Willander (B-)

Rookie back in on merit. Corsi king in Minny. First NHL point on sweet Boeser feed.

Thatcher Demko (B)

Held the fort when Canucks got running around defensively. Third goal off skate.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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