RECAP: NUCKS WIN! Devastate Panthers 5-1 at Home.

Revenge. Best served cold. That’s a famous chestnut dish served in refrigerated cliches around wobbly bar stools and subliminal beer commercials. Served on ice three months later in a fist of mistaken identity isn’t quite the same thing.

Oh well. Guds tried to make Matheson dance to the tune of atonement. But, not only is Matheson the worst defenceman in the NHL, he’s also tone deaf. Justice would have to be served by Florida’s designated slugger.

Also... there was a designated hockey game between the Miami Vice-Cats and the Nucks. A game that featured our oldest goalie on the payroll - who is still on sabbatical in south Florida. In a weird twist of Capology, both goalies in the game are part of the Canucks cap hit.

Speaking of hitting, late and cold. Let’s dance!

1st Period

The first was all about evening the score while keeping the score scoreless. And that’s pretty much how it worked out.

Guds, Rous and Virt were looking for Matheson, but never found him despite being noted on the Florida roster. Virtanen had to settle for roughing up Huberdeau. Didn’t pitchfork him to ice, so that symbolic moment was lost.

The Twitterverse was twitting its limited brains out over the chicken and eggs. It’s always breakfast time on Twitter.

No matter. Gudbranson was determined to take Math...matters into or onto his own hands.

Here’s a video clip of climatic finish of the period. Sorry for Cat-biased commentary. We know who really won. Nucks National Defence Fund.

For those on mobile fruit devices, here’s a still image of the tussle of the titans.

With justice/revenge/payback/standing-up-for-teammates served we can move onto the scoring and game winning section of the program.

Oh...there were some shots fired. All blanks, thankfully. With Vancouver putting 13 on their older esteemed goalie and the Panthers putting 8 on Vancouver’s younger goalie.

Lu was getting Lu’d by the crowd in ROG all night. That was kind of fun to hear again. Possibly for the last time - as the Nucks oldest active goalie, Luongo, will likely retire next year - Oh noes! Think of the Cap Hit! Or go on LTIR with the golf faeries - Yay!

2nd Period

Ok. Let’s get down to business. The winning business. Both teams have been on a losing skid. The Nucks haven’t won in 3 games. The Panthers in 5. So you know who’s the hungrier squad. You do, right?

In case you don’t, it’s the Canucks. They need to prove they can win a Peteless game. Haven’t yet in 3 attempts, but 4th time lucky. That’s what they say in the slacker sayings department of NM’s Used Slogans.

Who better to open the scoring than the Nucks highest paid player?

No one. This is why we pay Loui $6M/yr. For moments like this. Savour the moment - they only happen once every 8-10 games.

Again for the mobile fruities, the clipped twit edition:

Some say he stole quite a bit of cap space, but Loui proves he can steal pucks when he wants and deke our oldest goalie. Also nice to see we’re not the only team that makes terrible defensive zone decisions with the puck.

It is the winning goal. Of the period.

The Canucks put 14 shots on their still-on-the-payroll goalie. And the Cats put 7 on Markstrom. Both our goalies were having a great game.

The momentum favours the Nucks, the ROG is rocking. Only have to keep the lead for another 20 and get Marky that elusive next SO.

3rd Period

Yes, it that’s time of the game again. Keep the lead or... pad the league leading 3rd period GA stat. Tough choice.

The Nucks go with the safe choice. Pad the lead. The GA 3rd period stat lead.

Just as a Nucks penalty expires and the ROG can sigh in relief, the hungry cats pounce on the puck at the Nucks blueline and make some passes that aren’t supposed to happen and this happens...

I know. Like watching it slo-mo. Even Westy could have stopped it with only an empty rum glass. Marky’s shutout dream is shattered.

However, there’s still time to finish the revenge of the nervy. It’s a stand-up plotline so convoluted it’s taken 3 months to unravel. Or wrap up. Or just play out.

Since the theme of the game has been revenge why not put more R into it? It’s a 2R story now.

Revenge & Redemption

Redemption #1. Guds, the 2nd worst defenceman in the league seeks to redeem the team’s honour against the worst defenceman in the league. And does. Directly. In an indirect way.

Redemption #2. Loui LittleThinger has been the subject of NM derision for 5 10 162 games. He redeems at least half a million worth of salary with his first goal since 2018. And more. But, we’re not there yet.

Ok, we’re there. Almost.

Hutton has been partnering with Guds in 2019 - and the reviews from the NM Player Eval and Trade Department have not been good.

Redemption #3. Hutton gets a goal! Off a rebound from Stetch! It’s the GWG! It’s redemption! Sort of. 30 game wait for a Benny is a long wait.

Redemption #4. Brock hasn’t had goal since Pete went to play twist-a-knee with the faeries. Actually longer. Ugh.

On a pass from Loui, Brock shoots and gets nothing but net. Sure, an EN isn’t regarded as highly as an ON (Occupied Net) goal, but breaking a drought counts.

Redemption #5. Beagle has been in a scoreless streak that even Loui might find awkward. But Loui is caching all the redemption coupons tonight - gets another assist. Beagle’s EN doubles his goal total for the season!

Even better Bo gets a point too. I know, we really, really want to see a Bo goal again, before we forget what they look like. But, there’s others in need too.

Redemption #6. Granny has been either derided by the NM Hockeygencia or ignored by the NM recapologists. His pointless streak was hitting over straight 8 and the trade Granlund Brigade have been making advances on the TDL frontlines.

In the last 15 seconds of the game, Motte storms his way through 3 Panther divisions and Granny makes Lu look like he’d prefer to stay on the bench rather than glare at his ‘teammates’.

Bonus point to Pouliot! Not quite enough for redemption tagline, but still...

Some last second brouhahaing and the game, the storyline is complete.

The NUCKS WIN! In Regulation!

The payback is sweet. Sweetish. Would have been better if Pete was able to play and break Matheson’s ankles all over again. But, the league’s Montreal faeries took him from us on another un-penalised play. Yeah...still sore about that.

Let’s watch the highlights (yes, highlights) from the two Johns - the best play-by-play team in hockey.

The Two R Stats

The Glorious Victors’ Stats

Forwards

Defenders - No negative nelly plus/minus among them. Yes! It’s a miracle!

Our Goalies

Not saying because we had two goalies on the payroll that the game was rigged. We’re the Canucks, not the NHLOA. Our sabbatical Lu was the game’s 2nd star, despite our Marquis De Save having better numbers. So... that dispels any hint of favouritism right there.

Loui was the 3rd star and the keen ears of the NM game thread surmised when the ROG was chanting Luuuuuuuuu all night, Loui was hearing it through his own Lou ears and responded with 3 points. No plans yet to play the Luuuuuuuu chant at future ROG games, but couldn’t hurt.

The best home game this year. So far in 2019. It puts the Nucks back onto the wild wild card table. Until next week, at least.

Bo knows.

Let’s hear what the game’s scrappy hero has to say.

Big Ben is the game’s game winning 1st star.

Over in the home Green room, the game lovin’ words were flowing. Once the flowing starts...

The freshly invigorated Canucks are back in Win World with a searing hot one game streak. The DIFF sits at a modestly cool -12 and yet the future looks bright. Until next week at least.

The Nucks now get to rest and recover and more importantly, Pete will be practising with the team. At least that’s what hear. Often we only hear what we want, but that’s not the point.

The point is the 3 game Nucks loss streak is busted. And a two game win streak is on the ice next Wednesday. The Oil are in the ROG seeking to extend their loss streak. At least that’s what we heard.

Have a great two day rest, if you’re a millionaire pro hockey player, and a very healthy Peteful Wednesday.