Recap: Nucks Win! 7 Game Losing Streak - Get Ducked 4-3

Unlike the the last, this was more of a closely fought game that we didn’t win. At least there’s that.

Besides whether you win or lose 6 or 7 games, your team is still 3rd 4th in the Pacific and dropping, why win more than lose?

Why worry now? No reason. No explanation. No freaking idea. Except that slumps aren’t fun.

1st Period

The best way to win on the road is to score first. Also the best way to win at home.

The best way to play defence is not to run into your defence partner, especially when Getzlaf is the trailer on the keystone cops play.

Last game Hutton smacked into Pete and led to a Laine goal. Having learned from that, Pouliot runs into Stech, but recovers well enough to clear the puck - to Getz for the goal.

Consistency. That’s what the coach asked for. Or was it... consistently doing the little tiny things right. Oh well... 1 out of 2 ain’t so bad.

The shot count was even at 10-10, but already behind the game and down a goal.

Game chasing. It’s fun and exciting. Like storm chasing. Without the glory of winning a tornado selfie. Or just winning.

2nd Period

While Westy was still spitting rum-soaked Pouliot insults in the game thread poutine party, the object of his derision made Westy even angrier. Another bad clear? No. Worse. He scores. Off a sweet cross-ice feed from Sam the Old AHL Man.

It’s tied! On the road! We’re winning! We can do this!

Except we can’t. It’s a Ducky power play that’s rated so average we can say it’s mediocre. The Nucks PK has dropped from one of the best to one of the deeply not the best. Frustrating for Marky - makes some great saves, but a fire drill practice was called by the Nucks PK force.

Tie is busted. Again.

Anaheim out shot the Nucks 14-11, that’s not so bad. But there’s that one goal, catchup ketchup thing going into the 3rd.

3rd Period

So the storm is looming and the chasers are chasing. What could go wrong?

Poopylot, as nicknamed by some in the gamethread, has seen too much ice time recently - takes an unwanted penalty to stifle the comeback game chasing tournament of thrills.

The Ducks manage to not score on the powerplay, but do manage to keep the pressure on the Nucks in their own zone. And Henrique catches Marky with a little shoulder slump in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And the Nucks pay. And when the Nucks pay, we fans pay. And the Faeries won’t let us run a tab.

Down 3-1 in the middle of third is a familiar pattern to theme of doom tune the Nucks soundtrack department has played.

However, the mixologist behind the Nucks bench started stirring the game with a potent young gun blend. And potent it is. Loved this Pete Goldy Virt goal drinking game.

Game is tied! Almost.

And then it wasn’t.

And when there’s a defensive gaff to be made, there’s a guy willing to skate into the poop pool. Pouliot loses or otherwise gives away the puck at a time and place that was very poorly timed. Not for the Ducks tho, fowl oppourtunists.

Ugh. The one mountain claw back has a new peak. Nucks down 4-2.

No matter. The never-give-up Nucks never give up, even if the game thread has left to take their losing streak meds.

Virt was fully engaged in power forward mode in this game and made Ritchie take a penalty for being physically frustrated or roughing as they refs call it. Rough luck, Ritchie.

The Nucks 50% Power play will make the Ducks pay. At least half the time this game.

What a slick play by Goldy - slap pass to Bo and past the Ducks best player. Goldy leads the team in assists and has 5 multi-point games so far. And Bo leads the league with the most road goals at 10.

Beggsy will be taunting us again soon about choosing between Virts and Goldy. Good thing we don’t have to. And even better that the Nucks are permitted to have both on the roster, despite strict league rules about it.

Anyhow, the comeback is complete. As complete as it can get. There’s a goal mouth glove shovel play by the Ducks which could have resulted in a penalty shot. But wasn’t.

It was a close game that could have been won by the Nucks if only the D could skipped some sloppy bits and Marky stood just a little taller and stole the game. But he was hired as a goalie, not a game thief. So there’s that.

And overplaying Marky hasn’t been the best strategy for the past 12 games. When Nillie was letting Marky get his Clarke time, Marky’s technique was getting better. When Nillie got the faery finger of fecal fate, Marky had to play all but one game. And he’s regressed in his play.

No matter, let’s blame the D anyhow. Nucks sit 30th in GA. Allowed 37 shots. From Anaheim. Who have struggled to score this season. They sit 30th in the league for Goals For - an average of 2 goals per game. Thanks to the Nucks own-end play, the Ducks got 4 goals for the 1st time in a month. Ugh. And only 28 Nucks shots in response. Ugh.

And thanks to the extended fluffy faery time for Sutter and Beagle, Bo has had to carry the load of the #1 offensive and defensive center. Bo logged 23:44 in the game. That’s #1 D-man minutes. Actually more than that. Yikes! Even Pete had over 20 minutes. Not protected offensive minutes.

Here’s the highs and lows from that fowl arena.

Westy will be keen to hear Derrick’s side of the story...

Feel sorry for him. He’s playing above his time limit, pay grade and confidence level.

While the Green room wasn’t posting pressers, Bo was.

Where do the Nucks go from here? What if we didn’t find the way to San Jose and just took an extra day away and play for winning in LA?

Or could just extend the slump to more epic proportions. A 9 or 10 loss streak would go some ways to make the 10-12-1 record look more bottom heavy. At least the kids are still fun to watch. The defensive lapses by the over-extended D corp, not so much.

Let’s just get out of Disneyland with a mickey and hope for some dull shark bait in the tank. Have a thorough Thursday and remember to get fried for Friday.