NUCKS WIN!!! Drop the Desert Dogs 3-1 in the ROG!!!

As stated in the pre-game thread this was the most important game of the week month year.

Not just important because it’s a 4 point game against a Pacific division opponent - which the desert dogs barely qualify, but for hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars and Gary’s sick and sandy obsession to put NHL rinks in places with year round golfing.

It’s even more important than that. It’s because a non-Pacific team in our division leads the Pacific division.

Win this game and the NM Over-Reaction Defence Force won’t be called up to march on the tweet-parade. Or Twit-parade. Whichever.

More importantly, this was #HockeyTalks Night in the ROG.

Game thread’s mental health would get a boost with a redemption win over the Yotes.

1st Period

The Nucks know the Glendale taxpayer-sponsored sand hockey team can not be allowed to get the first goal.

With the pressure of getting the 1st goal, we need a vet to step up and do it.

Holy shit.

1-0 Canucks…….Beagle…I called it — Westy

But...

but not it being overturned…

0-0 — Westy

Well... it may have been over-turned on a lame coach’s offside challenge, but we know in our bitter little Nuckled hearts that we got the 1st goal.

And our Nuckled hearts took the next goal with a clenching anus motif.

Yotes are 20-4-1 or 24-1 when scoring first...ugh — ‘82

That’s a dreadful record (for us).

The Nucks like to break records.

Batch says we have to score 5on5

Yotes don’t take many penalties — ‘82

But, they take one because the Nucks 1st unit needs to break their own record. And it’s a record that sounds like a broken record.

Doesn’t matter what it sounds like in Winterpeg. In the ROG it sounds like money in the Bo. Buries Huggy’s rebound off the post.

Game is tied 1-1. And the sand hockey team is off their total stinge game.

If the desert dogs want to play with the lead, they have to earn another one. Myers isn’t going to make the same miscue twice. We have other players for that.

Because the Nucks had 2 power-plays in the period, the Flotes are granted a late one on a barely tripping penalty to Motte.

Doesn’t matter. Nucks PK preserves the tie. Gary’s wily lapdogs outshoot the ROGladites 14-9, but Marky is the better goalie, so we can spot them a few.

2nd Period

Period starts with the Nucks still on the PK. It’s not fair that 2 minutes in the box for Mottte is extended to 20.

Doesn’t matter. Because Sutz is back and the October PK band is almost all back together.

What does matter is the refs grant the Yodeling Dogs another power play. This time 5 on 5. The Nucks 5 on 5 special team is hemmed in their own end until hem line looks tired.

Tired, but not ready to be turned into dog food in the front of the home fans. Fans, who probably all were airlifted to the ROG because snowfall had paralysed the lower mainland.

Sure, the rest of Canada were giggling a bit, but wet coast snow is wet heavy snow. We won’t mention the hurricane-force winds either... Because hurricanes happen in places south of Georgia we never want to hear about again. Ever.

Anyways... with the non-local Yodels having to play catch up hockey to get ahead, the sly old Fox, Green, is matching lines and the 6 18 40 9 is creating havoc. And more.

While Millsie and Pete deke, Jake gets the puck and pulls the interim #1 goalie, Hill, out of position. Fakes and skates behind the net for the wrap around that is pushed into the net by Hill. #ShotGunned!

Despite getting checked hard and often double teamed, Pete gets his 2nd assist of the game.

While the Nucks have to perform another perfect PK, the Yodelling Dog PK quota is done for the night.

The game thread reacts in its usual calm and thoughtful way.

Oh FFS!!!

Motte gets his stick slashed out his hands. No call. That’s how the dotes take fewer penalties. Buy off the refs with taxpayer subsidised golf junkets. — jimmi

Doesn’t matter.

Nucks have the safest lead in hockey. It’s 2-1 after 2. Shots are more even as well. With the Nucks outshooting the dog-tired pups 9-10.

3rd Period

I know the game is won. You do too. Hindsight is perfect that way.

The Coyote Uglies don’t know that yet. And this isn’t your taxpayer-supported group of cap floor canines we’ve been accustomed to.

The game thread is on top of the dogged roster moves too.

I keep forgetting

Kessel plays for Ari — Chicky

The ghost of dEdmonton past haunts us still.

Can say it now... Taylor Hall - ‘82

Hunh

He plays for them too? Jeez. — Chicky

It’s even more complicated than that - the Totes old coach now coaches for the Oil. Is the NHL incestuousness? Maybe ask Vegas.

Without a whistle for 7 straight minutes, the game thread, while entertained by the back and forth action, is still trying to grasp this Pacific division leading former cellar-dweller.

is there a rule about how many former Blackhawks a team is allowed to have?

Schmaltz

Hjalmersson

Hinostroza

Chaput (probably by now) — Copey

Not that we know about.

Anyhow, since the tension of this game is stretching our tense drinking faces to the legal limit, we need to believe the Nucks are going to frustrate the hungry jackals nipping at the heels of our safest lead in hockey.

Not that we are worried - Marky has been wearing his anti-puck pads since the 1st intermission.

Still... We need more goals! And the Totes need less goalies! (Actually they need more... because reasons).

And there it is. Assured victory. With the waddling dog net empty, Loui is on the puck in the neutral zone. Loui chooses not to pad his EN goal total. Let’s Pearson pad his instead.

A minute and change left, the Nucks lead 3-1.

A minute and change later, the Nucks win 3-1!!!

And win the valuable 4 points. You don’t want to know how tough losing those 4 points might have been. It’s a see-saw season in the Pacific. And we have the 3rd seat on it.

The 2 ROG Johns are in great voice at home.

GAME STATS (Stingy Nucks Stats - Ha-Ha!)

	SOG	FO%	PP	PIM	HITS	BLKS	GVA
Coyotes ARI	35	49%	0/2	4	18	17	4
Canucks VAN	25	51%	1/2	4	16	10	7

PLAYER STATS (The ROG Rockers!)

Marky is 7 and Oh in his last 7 home starts.

Not just Marky.

Huggy Bear adds to his apple collection and talks the long stretch to go.

The GWG Jake talks about his junior move.

Over in the Green Room, the mood is melting off the road ice.

Road wins? Vital. Home wins? More vital.

Especially against division rivals. The Pacific is so clogged up that we all should give up eating cheese for a month.

Nucks are 2 points out of 1st and 5 points out of being out on the taxpayer-supported fairways of Shaughnessy.

What a wild stretch ride this is. Hang onto your snowboots, gumboots and magnum racks.

The DeBoerless Sharks are in our tank on Saturday. To drown in Nucky goals.