The Hurricanes' loss ended their five-game winning streak and robbed them of the chance to leapfrog the Blues into second place on the table.
The Crusaders won the title last week with a game to spare, but their final match of the season against the Blues at Eden Park on Sunday was [cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions].
The Hurricanes-Highlanders game was able to go ahead but without a crowd, with artificial noise created for the television audience.
The match was played at a frenetic pace with the sides locked at 14-all at halftime after scoring two tries each.