"Suddenly, Canucks defencemen are falling like flies.

The Canucks lost their third defender in four games after Kevin Bieksa left Saturday's game midway through the first period, not to return.

He was punched in the eye by Flames forward Tom Kostopoulos in a fight, his eye swelling shut.

He did not suffer a concussion, Alain Vigneault said.

"I don't know how serious Kevin's injury is" said Dan Hamhuis, Bieksa's defence partner," but he's been playing with a real physical edge, he's been great at both ends of the ice and I've really ejoyed being partnered up with him.

"I've been impressed with his ability to put aside all the distractions he's been dealing with, all the criticism and the trade rumours."

As is often the case, Bieksa was fighting above his weight class; Kostopoulos was playing his first game after serving a six-game suspension for breaking the jaw of Detroit's Brad Stuart with a head shot.

Christian Erhoff played 33:08 in Bieksa's absence, followed by Alex Edler's 29 minutes. Hamhuis played 26 and Keith Ballard 19:11.

"Seeing how Chris Tanev's come in and played, he's done really well, that's a real positive for us," Hamhuis said.

Tanev, who just turned 21 and averaged about 16 minutes a game with the Manitoba Moose, played 12 minutes last night.

"Every shift I'm feeling more and more comfortable," Tanev said. "The guys are great, they're helping me out.

"And the coaches are helping me through the whole process, too."

Bieksa was also handed a cross-checking minor on the play, which took place at 11:26 of the first period."