Video: Quinn Hughes Breaks Stick On Samuel Girard With Cross-Check

Samuel Girard threw a big hit on Quinn Hughes behind the net. From here, the Avalanche defenseman skated the puck into the offensive zone. Clearly Hughes was livid about the previous play, as he made a beeline towards Girard and cross-checked the defenseman hard enough where he broke his stick on him.

This play was clear retaliation on Hughes' end and quite honestly, a bad decision. This understandably led Hughes to receive a costly two-minute minor for cross-checking. The Avalanche would make him regret his actions immediately, as Cale Makar scored just 10 seconds into the power play. 

This was a brutal occurrence for the Canucks, as the goal broke the 2-2 tie and was the eventual game-winner for the Avalanche. Therefore, this immensely undisciplined play by Hughes cost the Canucks the game. Now, they sport a 5-10-2 record and are continuing to trend towards the bottom of the standings.

With this being a retaliatory play, one has to wonder if it'll get the attention of NHL Player Safety. It's impossible to predict due to their inconsistency, but we will have to wait and see on that front.