Pettersson absence felt, Hughes shut down, and more: 3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks lost 3-1 to Winnipeg Jets

The Vancouver Canucks lost a tight 3-1 game to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday afternoon at the Canada Life Centre. The Canucks have now lost two in a row, failing to make up ground in the Western Conference race for the second wildcard spot. Conversely, the Jets have three wins on the trot.

Pius Suter opened the scoring late in the first period, getting his 22nd of the season for the Vancouver Canucks. Meanwhile, Kyle Connor, Mason Appleton, and Cole Perfetti scored for the Winnipeg Jets.

So, let’s take a look at the three key reasons why the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday afternoon.

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3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks lost to Winnipeg Jets

#3 Anemic power play

The Vancouver Canucks went 0-for-3 on Sunday afternoon. Beyond failing to score, the Canucks’s power play did get much going as there was an evident lack of high-danger chances.

Considering Vancouver led the game 1-0 after 20 minutes and entered the game tied at one after 40, scoring on the power play could have been the difference between losing the game and pulling out the two points.

However, the Canucks failed to capitalize on the man advantage, leaving them without much going offensively against a strong Jets defense.

#2 Hughes shut down

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes failed to be a significant difference-maker for his team against the Jets. While Hughes was a workhorse on Sunday afternoon, playing in 27:08 over 22 shifts, he could not drive the offense like he typically does.

Hughes ended the game with a minus-1 rating and two shots goal. He blocked two shots, delivering one hit and one takeaway.

#1 Pettersson absence felt

The Canucks continue to play without top-line center Elias Pettersson. Pettersson has been out for about a week, with Vancouver’s offense continuing to suffer in his absence.

In the meantime, Pius Suter has stepped up in the top-line role. Suter has played well, driving part of the offense. However, there hasn’t been much offense going beyond Suter’s contributions.

Other big names - Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser, and Conor Garland - were not influential in Pettersson’s absence. As a result, the Canucks have not been able to score enough goals to win games down the stretch this season.

The Vancouver Canucks will be back in action on Wednesday night as they take on the Seattle Kraken at home, with their playoff hopes dwindling.