Marcus Pettersson explains why the Canucks are suddenly winning after trading Quinn Hughes
The Canucks appear to be playing better hockey since trading away Quinn Hughes, and Marcus Pettersson has revealed they're all coming together.
In the wake of trading away franchise cornerstone Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks suddenly find themselves riding a wave of momentum they couldn't have imagined just days earlier.
What the Canucks have done for the first time in two months
They've notched their first winning streak in nearly two months, got instant returns from all three new faces, and nudged two-thirds of the way through a Metro New York sweep despite having only 32 shots across 120 minutes. The lighthearted, fun vibe would have felt impossible before Friday's deal.
Liam Ohgren, a fourth-line winger brought in from Minnesota, recorded his first NHL goal since March as Vancouver shut out the New York Rangers 3-0 at Madison Square Garden.
Marco Rossi and Zeev Buium added the scoring in a 2-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, giving the Canucks tangible early dividends from the trade.
Why Marcus Pettersson believes the Canucks are better now
The emotional weight of losing Hughes has softened, at least for now, replaced by the energy of younger players hungry for opportunity and a clearer path for a club hovering near the bottom of the standings, according to Marcus Petttersson.
"We lost our captain, and I think for us as a group, it's important to come together and play these kinds of games," veteran defenceman Marcus Pettersson said. "They're tight games, maybe not a ton of offence. But you know what? We're battling for each other, and we know that if we're going to win games, we've got to do it together. It's nice to string a couple (of wins) together. But especially when a major turnover like that happens - I've never gone through it myself where a key player like that gets traded - it's a new challenge, and I think we're coming together as a group."
- Marcus Pettersson
- Marcus Pettersson
The offense still stumbles without Hughes driving it, but Vancouver's defensive structure has quietly strengthened over the last month under coach Adam Foote.
The real standout on this road trip has been Thatcher Demko. Three games back from a month-long injury layoff, the veteran goalie is already approaching top form as he stopped 24 shots for his first shutout of the season and made it look easy.
And with Vancouver pressing on without Hughes, the timing of this surge could hardly be better. A team that's spent too long chasing positives is finally tasting success again, and with that comes a renewed sense of joy.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 17 | 411 ANSWERS Marcus Pettersson explains why the Canucks are suddenly winning after trading Quinn Hughes Are the Canucks a collectively better team without Quinn Hughes? | ||
| Yes | 290 | 70.6 % |
| No | 121 | 29.4 % |
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