RECAP: NUCKS Win! 6 Goals! Pens Win 8 Goals and Game.

Last game we tried to specify the correct number of Nucks it takes to clear the puck from their zone...as you may recall, the number is...

In this barnstorming, firebranded game, you might have thought 6 Canucks goals would be more than enough. We were sure it was 3 more than enough.

Until it wasn’t.

But, we’re not there yet. The there we want to be is 6 minutes into the 3rd when the power fails on the eastern seaboard and the game is called and the Nucks win 6-3 6-4 6-5.

1st Period

It’s the 3rd to last period in the eastern dark tea time of the puck.

The Canucks are still feeling weary from the other night in Painnsylvania. How weary?

Weary enough to give up the first goal. In case you were wondering, that was the 49th time the Nucks have given up the 1st goal in only 26 games. How is that possible? We don’t know.

5 minutes in and the Nucks have no shots on Murray.

Just before Stetch took a penalty (which the Pens scored on), Bo took a dirty head shot from Simone - behind the play, so no call. Bo was down on the ice and struggled to get to the bench. The wild wheel of DoPS needs to censure that dirty play. With a strongly worded letter to the editor of the NHLPA Money-First Courier.

Bo did return next shift, but the Painnsylvanian faeries were circling.

10 minutes in and the Nucks have no shots on Murray. Murray is a very lucky goalie. Especially since his team has spotted him a couple goals.

Also... It’s 2-0 Pens after too much time.

Murray isn’t as lucky as Millsie. Quinn with the cross ice skate-feed. JT with the ‘lucky’ backhander.

Just 2-1 lead now. That’s a 50% reduction in behindness on only 4 shots. So efficient, this Nucks road team.

Over in the gamethread, we were trying to put a positive thrifty look on getting outshot 12-3.

very thrifty Nucks shooters – 1 goal on 3 shots. Pens had to use 12 to get 2.

No worries… by the end of the 2nd, Nucks will have 12 shots too. And 4 goals? - jimmi

Such eerie foreshadowing...

2nd Period

After the initial period where the Pens spent 90% of the time in the Nucks zone, the Nucks had a little chat with the competition bureau and decided to go for the full 20.

Travis is blending like Westy tending at an open bar. Virt is playing on Pete’s wing and sets up a wicked (or lucky) Pete shot that doesn’t ding the post and out, but finds the netting.

Boom! 2-2 tie.

The Nucks are playing like they care. The Pens are pressuring like they don’t care. Which is good, because this period, this one glorious period of triumph is only filled with Canucks goals.

Jake is taking no break. He’s on another line. And dancing around Letang. And getting lucky, of course.

Jake

Everyone shotgun… Regretting my red wine decision right now. - Chicky

3-2 Nucks. We’re leading. Or shotgunning. Or both.

However, this amazing period of Nuckly total goal domination isn’t over. With a minute left and Murray still in net, it’s time for another Nuck to get lucky. Gaud makes his own luck.

Matt Murray says all of those were lucky

but he’s leaving anyways - Westy

Murray is getting pulled, luckily for him. Lucky for us? Meh.

It’s 4-2 Canucks! On the road! We win! Stop the game now. Or soon, ok?

Nucks match the Pens on shots 11-12 in the period. But, the Nucks have 4 goals on just 14 shots. That’s efficient.

3rd Period

Ok, it’s a 2 goal Nucks lead to start that 3rd. That’s safe.

But, then Guentzel, unstoppable by mere Nucks D, swings around behind Demko and pops a backhand in to the net. Not fair.

Oh, well... a one goal lead is safe.

But why take the chance - when the Nucks are granted their first power-play of the game.

And the deadliest road power-play in Pittyburgh goes to work. And gets lucky. Millsie fires a shot that breaks Jack Johnson’s stick and deflects the puck past Murray’s lucky replacement.

Wooo!!! 2 goal lead restored! 5-3 Nucks. That’s the exact score that the Nucks have won a few games with this season.

But Gaud only knows why we need a bigger lead. And promptly gives the Nucks a bigger lead while undressing Letang and putting a snapper off the post and in.

Wooo!!! 6-3 Nucks. 3 insurmountable goal lead. The game thread is chuffed about this.

F***

Spoke to soon. Goddam 3 goal leads. - Twitchy

The dreaded 3 goal lead haunts us again. Precisely 3 minutes and 3 seconds after the 3 goal lead was made indisputable, the Pens score.

Fine. It’s 6-4 Nucks. That’s all we need. Nucks can just sit back and nurse that freshly smaller, but still inconceivably inviolate lead.

Good lord

so many goals

6-5 Canucks - Westy

So many now unanswered Pens goals. Fine. 10 minutes to go, the Nucks can eek this slender(ish) lead until the buzzer.

Jeezus

Canucks just standing around in their zone playing scared. What kinda bullshit defence is that? - Twitchy

Inconceivable. Pens have decimated the 3 2 1 lead. It’s a tie game.

A... 6-6 tie. WTH?!

If Canucks lose

I blame Goldy.

6-6 - Westy

To be fair, Goldy was one of the few decent Nucks in the 1st. Even blocked a shot and stuff.

Ok... back to evens. It’s the last period of the eastern mishap tour. Just get it to OT, get the point and make the 500 trip worthwhile.

But no. That’s a NOOOOOOOO!!! preceded by 4 letters of angst.

There it is

7-6 Pens - Westy

Westy the Internet Over-Philosopher keeps us on the calm middle path. That soothing philosophical feeling was shared across the game thread.

This is one of those games that makes me wonder why I cheer for this team. Not a single fucking reason why we couldn’t get a point with a 3 goal lead in the third. PLAY THe WHOLE F***ING GAME! - Twitchy

And with that calm spreading across the ice, the Nucks try to even the odd. And empty the net and get the evens back on the board. Malkin gets the last second EN - Pens win 8-6.

8 Freakin’ goals! That’s not fair.

And almost, but for a little post-dinger on the Nucks 2nd power-play, Nuck’s would have had 7. And the hattie for JT. We all want that. But eastern road games are cruel.

If only the game would have been called at the 6 minute mark of the 3rd. Or the Nucks could have scored 3 more. But... not to be.

At least we can thank Atty for making sense of the huge lose/win/lose roller coaster game.

This is what happens when there are a bunch of kids,

but not enough vets (Beagle, Roo, Sutter, Markstrom) on the team. - AttilaS

Pens only outshoot the Nucks 14-8 in the period and 40-22 in the game.

Nucks win the Official NHL Shot Efficiency point. Those points are like reward points. But without the reward.

At least we have the 2 John to relive the lows, the highs, the lower lows.

GAME STATS

STATS (Gaudy Stats - Stats All Around)

Demko got burned - his .821 SV% wasn’t his fault. Westy says it’s Goldy’s fault. I blame the too reliable Painnsylvania power grid. Still better than Murray’s .714 SV% - so unlucky.

Let’s hear if the players can make sense of this runaway train game.

Over in the well-lit road Green Room, the mood is gloomy.

Make no mistake, this was a game of mistaken leadentity. The young Nucks thought they had the lead. That the Pens are too old to play the comeback kids storybook.

A bitter lesson. But... maybe, just maybe, a great lesson. The lesson is... being discussed behind the lesson planner’s cursing.

Oh, well. The worst of this worst road trip of the year is over. The Nucks return to a civilised time zone, get a couple days to reflect and recharge. Then it’s off to finish the trip with a win in the place they lost their first game of the year.

With a win, it would be a break-even trip. Especially if they win 8-3. Because 5 goal leads are the safest thing in hockey.