Michael Amadio scored, and Adin Hill made 32 saves for Vegas (33-23-7), which is 2-8-1 in its past 11 games.
“I don’t think it helped that we’re chasing the game early,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We have to start digging in after the first negative thing that happens to us and bounce back. Get through it. We haven’t been able to do that. ... They checked well. There’s a reason why they’re in first place (in the Pacific Division). They used everybody. They’re buying in. They’re working above. They weren’t going to give us anything, and they didn’t.”
Forward Anthony Mantha, who was acquired in a trade with the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, had four penalty minutes in 15:14 of ice time in his Golden Knights debut. Defenseman Noah Hanifin, who was acquired from the Calgary Flames as part of a three-team trade Wednesday, had two shots on goal in 21:33 of ice time.
“I won’t evaluate them. I’d say this even with a call-up. I don’t think it’s fair,” Cassidy said. “Especially a game like tonight where we didn’t do enough as a team. Let them play a few games.”
Hughes gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead at 6:01 of the first period, scoring from the high slot just as a 5-on-3 power play expired.
Di Giuseppe scored 55 seconds later to make it 2-0. He beat Hill five-hole from the right circle after Nils Hoglander was tripped by Brayden McNabb while attempting to toe-drag the defenseman on a 2-on-1.
“You know, you're on the road and you want to get on the other team early. So it was big for our group,” Di Giuseppe said. “We had a couple of power plays there too. We were taking it to them in the first."
