Recap: NUCKS WIN! Pete PP Goal - Lose Game 3-2

Another afternoon game, another afternoon loss. It’s now an official 5 game losing streak. Unofficially it’s a broken home game win streak. Either way, it’s a better loss than the last loss, so that’s makes it a loss with a winning edge.

1st Period

Really exciting 1st period. Ok, not really. Pre-game warmup was more exciting. At least the Nucks outshot Le Habs 10-9.

The Nucks only took two power plays and one penalty. Nothing good or bad happened in those special teams moments. So, that’s good.

Period ends the way it started with the goalies winning. At both ends.

2nd Period

Montreal opened the scoring on a stretch pass from Petry to Tatar. Tut-tut Guds & Hutt for missing the inbound Tatar saucer. But, why blame the D so early in the game when we can make it a failure of offensive zone compete?

Why indeed. Maybe he was tired and needed to coast, but when LittleThinger let Petry blow by him didn’t think it was a big thing - just waved his stick at Petry and cruised to the bench. That’s when Petry, with time, space and speed could pick a spot to stretch out a pass to Tatar. Who picks the top corner where Marky doesn’t keep his shoulder anymore.

Seems like the endless road trip has worn down the Canucks compete level. With the Faery Fever limited roster, there’s not enough firepower left to coast to the bench.

Oh well... there’s still more game to play for and time to ruin Price’s sure shutout.

But, who will stop the surety? Bo? Totally.

With another defensive zone win Bo gets the puck to MDZ who goes up ice and gives the puck to Bo who goes to Motte. The Motte shot bounces off Rousell and into the waiting stick of MDZ who taps it past a confused Price.

Woo! It’s a tie! We’re winning! At home!

Vancouver takes another penalty compliments of Virt and kills it like we know they will 2 times out of 3.

The Nucks win the shot count 9 to 9. In case of ties, we win! Because we’re winning!

3rd Period

Now the period begins with some back and forth. We’ll skip right past some of the forth to the great scoring play that Bo creates and almost scores on Price. Not quite, but still draws a penalty.

And then for a brief moment in the ROG, all the glorious glory was ours. Or Pete’s. Or Pete’s 2nd glorious shot. His first is stopped, but his high wired shot is not. Pete scores! On the PP!

Point drought over for Elias! Yay! Game won for the Nucks! Yay!

Or is it?

Of course it isn’t. It’s the Nucks in November. At home. After a gruelling road trip that hasn’t ended yet. The Puck Gods do not let the Canucks win one goal games in November.

And neither does Price. Just after the PP tally, he made a game saving stop. And just after that, the puck faeries played the skate shot deflection deflation to disaster.

Le Habs were buzzing in the danger zone. Not a good thing. That dreaded uh-oh feeling swept through the ROG. Domi puts a shot off Shaw’s non-kicking skate and it’s past Marky.

It’s a tie. In the third. Yay. Play for the tie.

But wait. There’s more. While busy playing for the tie, the guy who tied the game earlier takes an unwanted penalty. In the last few minutes of the game. Thanks, MDZ.

Nice setup to help Montreal break their pathetic PP slump. And for the legendary 2 out 3 Nucks PK to perform their ¹⁄₃ of the PK stat. A semi-screened Marky gets a peek-a-boo puck from Drouin.

And the Nucks pick up their first home loss in a long time. Not long enough.

However, the Canucks still lead the league in a key stat. They’re given up the most goals in the 3rd period. 32 and counting.

The really important stat is that the Nucks outshot Montreal 38-31 and outhit them. Especially that late hit by MDZ. Oh..wait.

With the loss the Nucks pickup 3rd spot in the Pacific. Traded down from 2nd tonight. How much farther will they trade down before the Faeries release some captives? We don’t know. Best not to know anyhow.

What we do know is... 3rd periods are no longer our friends and we need to treat them like we do the other periods - with suspicion and loathing.

So... it’s a loss, which vet faces the media music? An road-weary Swedish rookie, of course.

Over in the home Green room, the bounces were getting lucky.

Note: Green wasn’t happy about playing yet another afternoon game. The road trip was supposed to be over, FFS!

The good news the road trip finally ends on Monday. The bad news the Nucks are playing the Jets. But at least it’s a home game. On a Monday. Against the Jets. One out of three. That’s pretty good.

Enjoy the rest of your sunshiney and freakin’ cold weekend and put on your game pads for a miraculous Monday.