Hughes scores twice, PP rolling, and more: 3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks won 3-2 over Edmonton Oilers

The Vancouver Canucks held off the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Saturday night at Rogers Arena. With the win, the Canucks snapped a two-game slide, inching them closer to a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Vancouver built a 3-0 lead, managing to hold the Oilers' comeback attempt in check.

Quinn Hughes scored twice for the Canucks, with Danton Heinen adding the other. Leon Draisaitl scored twice for Edmonton, including a power-play goal in the second period to make the game a one-goal contest.

So, here’s a look at the three key reasons why the Vancouver Canucks won over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.

3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks won over Edmonton Oilers

#3 The Canucks played a physical, tight-checking game

The Vancouver Canucks played a physical, tight-checking game that allowed them to lock the win down in the third period. Vancouver entered the third with a 3-2 lead, keeping the Oilers to just three shots in the third and 15 total.

The performance by Vancouver was similar to the game it played against the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier in the week, where it managed to shut down big-time scorers. Saturday night’s effort mirrored that outing against the Leafs, whereby the team maintained a physical advantage, outhitting Edmonton 18-9.

Overall, the Canucks seem to have turned a corner on the defensive side of the puck by playing a more structured style in their own zone.

#2 Power play rolling

The Vancouver Canucks went 2-for-4 on the power play with Quinn Hughes getting both tallies. The fact that the power play was able to score twice was a huge boost for Vancouver’s offense, which has struggled at times.

The key for Vancouver has been allowing Hughes to roam about the zone with the puck and create traffic in front of the net. The chaos in front of the net has allowed Hughes to use his shot to score.

That approach was evident in the first goal as Hughes was able to skate to the high slot and let a shot-pass go that got deflected and into the back of the net. Hughes got a huge opening goal for the Canucks, who would go on to build a 3-0 lead in a span of about three minutes.

#1 Hughes scores twice

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes continues to build a Hart Trophy candidacy this season with another strong outing. Hughes scored twice, with J.T. Miller also adding two assists, to power the Canucks over the Oilers.

Overall, Hughes’ leadership on both ends of the ice paved the way for Vancouver to pull out its 20th win of the season and keep pace in the Pacific Division.

The Canucks will hit the ice again on Tuesday night as they host the Buffalo Sabres in an inter-conference matchup.