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You know when Ben Hutton’s having fun: he has a smile on his face that could compete with the sun for brightness.

That was his face when the media went into the Canucks’ room after Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Penguins in Pittsburgh.

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The defenceman, who spent so much of the 2017-18 season in the doghouse, has been a solid contributor on the Canucks’ blueline since he was added to the lineup for the third game of the season, exactly a week ago against the Carolina Hurricanes.

He’s played with a jump in his step. Each game has been better than the last. He’s moved the puck well out of his zone and has shown a confidence when under pressure that’s rarely been seen since his impressive rookie season in 2015-16.

“I thought we were breaking out well and even when we didn’t have the breakouts, we’d just eat it and grind it out and win our battle and get it up to the forwards,” he said.