RECAP: NUCKS WIN!!! The Tie! The Shootout! The Game! Edge Caps 2-1

It’s early on a Saturday morning. Most of us wet coasters are still sleeping when this peewee hockey time starts. Thanks again to the evil geniuses at NHL Schedule Hell.

After that stunning 5 PP goal win in Nashville most of NM were ok if this pathetic AM game went sideways. If fact, NM Win/Loss Command and Control had this game marked as NETW back in October. For those not familiar with NM W/LCC acronyms, like me, would have to look it up in the NM Book of WTF Acronymic ABBV. It stands for Not Expected To Win.

With low expectations comes care-free, easy game thread sniping.

AM hockey is straight up bullshit. - The Jackass Formerly Known As Smoboy

1st Period

As expected the BS starts early. Way too early.

The Caps, reportedly the best team in the league, are playing a Saturday matinee game. Nucks are playing to stay awake and get rolling once the jet lag is finished lapping the ice.

Not a great time to be on the ice. No matter. Just 4 minutes in the Nucks give themselves a little bonus streak.

Give up the 1st goal of the game, as in Nashville. As they have in 17 of 24 games. Not the best strategy for winning, but a great comeback kids storyline.

Doesn’t matter.

Because the Nucks draw a penalty. And on the power-play, Pete draws a penalty. It’s a 2 Man advantage! You know what that means.

Need more of an advantage. So after the faceoff, Kempny drops his stick.

It’s a 3 Man Advantage. Or at least a 2.5 MA. And that’s enough for Pete to beat Holtby. And the game is tied!

Woooooo!!! The Nashville Nucks PP saved some for the DC swamp.

It’s not without some faery-trading tho. Eddie after a few shifts takes a big hit from Ovi and then gets Boyd’s skate blade under his arm where the deodorant commercials live. Soon after, Eddie is off to the dressing room to play upper body faery mystery theatre.

Doesn’t matter. 5D will do in the mid-morning tie up.

The game is tied. And will be preserved to the end of the period despite the Caps out-pressuring and out-shooting the Nucks 11-7. Shots were 7-2 Caps 10 minutes after the early morning alarm went off.

Doesn’t matter. Not only was the game tied for over an hour, records were too.

2nd Period

The Caps are pressuring and the Nucks are absorbing. The tie will not be denied.

Even if Myers will deny a puck destined for Capitol gains.

Even if Myers takes a penalty in the last minute and the Nucks are playing with 4D on the PK.

Nucks win the shot count 11-7 in the 2nd. And in my blurry view have already won the game. At least the moral victory, but morals are so out of fashion in DC.

3rd Period

More Caps pressure right off the puck drop as they start on the PP. Not fair, but that’s how the NHL rolls.

Doesn’t matter. After 14 caps or espressos intermission, the D-epleted Nucks apply some pressure of their own. Holtby is playing pretty good for a #1 goalie on a #1 team. Not Miraculous Marky good, but still...

Some great chances at both ends. With better saves. Marky’s edition of the Washington Post(s) are not letting him lose the headlines.

very fast paced 3rd so far... fun but scary with that caps team on the ice… - copey

With the only shorter man call in the period, the Nucks PK, is tested and found awesome.

The Caps and the Ovi cannon go 0 for 3 on the their PP. We know what that feels like.

Despite the odd man advantage and outshooting the Nucks 12-10, the tie remains.

As with the last Cappy meetup, extra time means extra points.

OT

The OT starts with some open season cross-checking on Pete by Kuznetsov. No call. Then in small gesture of contrition the refs call Kuznetsov on a hook on a wide open Tanev. I know, it would have been amazing to have Tanev win the game in OT. Instead it’s another Nucks power-play.

But it’s only a 4-on-3. Not quite advantage enough to finish in power play style. Oh well... more Marky magic for us.

SO

7 Rounds of Marquis de Saves. 1 round of Capt’n Head Fake.

The full Super 7.

Catp’n Bo Knows...

Highlights from the homers. Again. I apologise for the strange accents and no-Johns. Just watch the 2 Johns shootout replay if you’re home sick.

STATS (Good Road Stats)

	SOG	FO%	PP	PIM	HITS	BLKS	GVA
Canucks VAN	33	45%	1/5	6	12	8	11
Capitals WSH	33	55%	0/3	10	27	12	8

PLAYERS (Gutsy Road Morning Stats)

Marky with the .97 SV% deserves the 1st Star honours. Again. First time he’s beat the Caps. And beat them in 11 periods of hockey.

With the game-tieing winner, it’s Super Pete.

Gutsy far too early win in the swampy city. Whatever happens next, the Nucks have shown they can hang with and given enough time can beat a beast of the east.

Wooooooooooo!!!

Next stop in the eastern darkness is some state called Pennsylvania. They have two NHL teams. The road happy NHL schedulers claim the Nucks have to play both. Not at the same time, fortunately, because local attendance revenue rules.

Spend your Sunday celebrating like wild peewees high on the win-juice. And gird your game thread loins for a Monday game in Philly or Pitts. I don’t care which. This road trip has already made records and NM a happier place to be miserable in.