Canucks' Hughes, Pettersson miss loss to Kraken

The Vancouver Canucks were without two key players in their first game after the holiday break, as forward Elias Pettersson and defenseman Quinn Hughes missed Saturday's 5-4 overtime defeat to the Seattle Kraken.

The last time the Canucks played a game without both Pettersson and Hughes before Saturday was March 26, 2019 - two days before the latter's NHL debut, according to Sportsnet 650's Joey Kenward.

Pettersson departed Vancouver's last game - a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Monday - with an undisclosed injury. He played just one shift in the third period after scoring twice in a 44-second span in the second frame.

Hughes was considered a game-time decision against the Sharks, though he was able to play. He saw a team-high 24:45 minutes of ice time and recorded two assists.

Neither player participated in Friday's practice. Here's how Vancouver lined up in their absences:

Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said Friday that Hughes and Pettersson were doubtful to face the Kraken, per Rink Wide's Jeff Paterson.

The two stars were Vancouver's top contributors entering Saturday's action. Hughes paced the Canucks with 34 assists and 42 points in 34 outings, while Pettersson ranked second with 28 points in 34 contests.

It's been a bit of a bumpy road for the Canucks this campaign. Last season's Pacific Division champions came out of the break in fourth place and fell to 17-10-8 with Saturday's loss in the extra frame.