I thought the same thing. On the flip side, Makar, who only is an inch taller and 7lbs heavier than Hughes, had been unstoppable.
i think part of Hughes issues is that this is the first year he’s been there, where there are big expectations on him. He had a good playoff as a rookie, but other than that doesn’t have a lot of playoff experience, and this year as a captain and Moreis candidate, it’s the first time he has to deal with the really high expectations.
on the other hand, Makar has already been through the playoff grind, won a cup, and has the confidence to appear unstoppable.
Vancouver seemed a lot more jittery once Demko went down, and that’s because guys are trying to compensate by either trying to do much, or just being more nervous and less confident. It’s easier to perform when there are no real expectations (like Hughes as a rookie), than when you are expected to drive the offence AND as a dman, compensate for the loss of your #1 goalie.