RECAP: NUCKS WIN!!!! Down Hawks 7-5!!!

Happy New Year, NM!

What could make the start of 2020 even happier than the end of 2019? Keeping the streak burning in the ROG!

jimmi.cynic

For the 1st time in over 3 years, the Nucks - yes, the Nucks we’ve been cheering for years - have put together a SIX GAME WINNING STREAK! Start the parade. Of drinking. And high sixing. Use two hands if you have to.

Even the stoggy Nucks PR stream is ready to rock the ROG.

Through this streak of magic, we’ve noted the stellar play of Marky and the tight gap-controlled team D.

This isn’t one of those games. If you were hoping to experience a team playing the ‘right’ way, back away right now.

Buckle up and rev up the Delorean, because the 80s are back in town.

1st Period

The key to winning in the ROG is to score first. We know that. And even better, the Nucks do too.

And even better, the 1st goal of the 1st is a 1st unit PP goal! From Bo!!!! Ok, and a tip from Millsie.

Last week’s Nucks could have locked it down and held the Hawks to no shots. Instead, they play loose in their own end.

The Nucks defenders in front of Marky follow the bouncing puck which bounces out to Murphy. And he scores. Play sloppy D, get sloppy goals against. It’s Murphy’s Law. Or one of his corollaries. Or calories. Whatever.

Sure, the Hawks have tied it up and lead on the shot count 12-7, but the Nucks are just getting warmed up. Getting ready to turn up the heat in the 2nd on the team noted for giving up the most high danger chances in the league.

It’s a game full of danger.

2nd Period

The best way to take control of the game is to get a commanding lead. Even if you have to steal a puck.

Which Jake does and sets up behind the Hawk net. Banks a pass to Eddie who shoots and Pearson tips for the goal.

It’s a commanding one goal lead. In the first few minutes of the 2nd. What could go wrong?

Do you need a list? A small notebook of couch coaching expletives?

Not yet. But soon, perhaps.

Looks like an innocent Hawk rush - but the Hawks are never innocent. They’re an under-performing team team filled with under-performing players with bad intentions. Bad for Marky.

Kampf uses three players to hide his shot

and beat Marky 2-2 - Westy

Fine. It’s a tie game. Again. Could just go get another goal and another commanding one goal lead.

Or not.

Our Gaud is penalised. For doing what he needed to do. Trip up a Hawk. His way of helping one of those under-performing players build character. It doesn’t matter to the refs. Doesn’t matter that the recent Hawks goal may have deflected of Gaud’s own leg. Gaud is in the sinbox.

On the Hawks PP, more bad things happen. And the game thread responds with stoic optimism.

Patrick Kane - Canuck killer

scores on the PP makes it 3-2 Hawks - Westy

Fine. Nucks are only behind by one goal. A single goal lead is not that commanding a lead. As we so know.

But what about 2 goal leads? Let’s not talk about those.

Quinn Hughes scores!

on his own net…off his leg.

4-2 Canucks

Green calls a timeout. - Westy

Westy, up late on a school night, is the NM game thread play-by-play typist.

Whatever strong words Trav used, the Nucks respond. Strong.

The 1st unit is back on the ice, confusing defenders and scaring goalies. Sweet backhand pass from Miller and Huggy Bear gets the game thread hugging again.

Hughes scores again!

This time past Lehner!

4-3 Hawks - Westy

It’s a tie game! Pretty much.

Now the Hawks have to defend their commanding one goal lead. There is no defence against the Alien.

Wooooo! We’re back on top. 4-4.

That’s 8 goals in 2 periods. How does the game thread feel about that?

Entertaining 2nd period

Canuck collapse…timeout….regroup and end the period tied - Westy

Now the Nucks win the shot clock prize 18-13 and win the period with 3 equally answered goals. Exciting!

3rd Period

We know our young guns are burning with gun-running desire. We know Marky is burning with agro and Trav is probably burning through the Tums.

With so much fire in their bellies and fire power on the ice...screw the 80s, we’re going back to the 30s.

jimmi.cynic

Who is going to kindle the flame, spark the team, win the game?

Bo. Of course.

Gets his 2nd home goal of the season. Technically without using his stick to put the puck in the net. Why even shoot at the net? It’s open deflection season in the ROG.

It’s the Commanding One Goal Lead for the Home Team! Woooooooooooo!!!

Game thread is pretty excited too.

Fast-paced third period

lots of turnovers and chances - Westy

Turnovers happen when the barn is burning. Spontaneous baking.

With the game out of the Hawks greedy talons, we can relax and enjoy the home cooked - possibly over-cooked - deep-fired hockey that wins games. Against high risk, low reward teams. Sometimes.

Game thread is already in full review mode. Possibly getting the silver polish out.

These Canucks are impressively deep

Last game, they scored 5 goals and none were by the big line.

This game, the big line goes on a rampage.

This team is already on the verge of being top tier. Meanwhile, down in the World Juniors, in one of the semifinal games (SWE vs RUS), arguably the best prospect on each team is a future Canuck… - radivel

And yet the barn is still burning. The game continues whether we want it to or not. And worse... Quinn suffers a cross-check that ends in a Hawks scoring play. No penalty.

It’s a freaking 5-5 tie. That’s penalty enough. As the game thread calmly explains.

complete rubbish non-call

followed by douchebag mcKane scoring on a five-hole softie

really, can’t someone just introduce his face to the glass? - copey

Here’s the thing. This game is a full on 5 alarm fire.

Only Gaud can help us turn up the heat. Singe the feathers. And does.

A Gift from Gaud!!!

— copey

Gaud knows this game is in the bag. In the deep fried end.

But... wait! There’s more!

What? Do game threads now provide pacemakers or CPR?

Nope. But the refs can play even up even in the last minutes of a game already determined by the commanding one goal lead.

What?

Not making it up. Motte is called for tripping. Motte, one of the Nucks best PK guys. WTH?

debrincat steps on the stick well away from the puck

ref logic: that’s a penalty!

ugh - copey

The Hawks braintrust behind the bench don’t pull their goalie for the 6 on 4 finale. Thankfully.

Instead, Capt’n Bo, blocks a shot, gets a bruise and gets a goal! A goal - shot from from his own stick into the the net! Woooooooooooo!!!

It’s a 7-5 Victory over a former rival. Nucks outshoot the little Fawkers 37-33.

Not the tighest checking game, but sure fun to watch. Once we got the commanding one goal lead. The final commanding one goal lead.

The 2 Johns are back and calling hot hockey.

GAME STATS (BARN BURNING STATS!)

PLAYER STATS (BARN BURNING PLAYERS!)

Marky wasn’t the best Canuck on the ice. And didn’t have to be. But who was?

I’d say it was Bo. And Pete. And Miller. Arrange the stars how you like.

The voice of Gaud talks about the barn burning GWG.

Huggy Bear is happy about the win. The fun. The sloppy D, not so much.

Miller wasn’t a fan of the paint by fire method, however, despite his 4 point night.

“It was kind of an ugly game. You don’t want to win 7-5 too many times. We got into a little bit of a track meet there. Sometimes that happens against those guys. It’s important that we didn’t quit in the second period there when it got a little ugly, and we found a way to get it together and get two points. At the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.

Normally, when you’re giving up five (goals), it means you’re doing something wrong. I think it’s important. . . after they got their fourth, we dialled it in and played a pretty good hockey game after that.

We definitely don’t want to play a wide-open game. When we defend well, we spend time in the other team’s end and we grind them down, I think that’s when we know we’re playing at our best. I’m just glad to get two points, honestly.”

In the Green Room, Trav is repainting the barn.

Wow! This was a game for the VCR PVR archives. A big win to start the 2nd half. A remarkable 6 game win streak.

Too bad NM fired Green 3 weeks ago. Good thing we rehired him a week later. He’s a pretty good coach for this team. If it wasn’t for those damn Nighties, would have been the Western conference coach at the All Stars.

Maybe (maybe?) not the clean, controlled win over the Flames, but this burner was fun to watch. On the PVR.

Hello, 2020! We’re ready for you now. If we have to extend the win streak into February, winning 7-5 every night, I won’t complain. Too much. A couple 2-1 and 3-2 victories would be a good option as well.

Congrats to the young Canucks for stringing a 6 game win streak together using a wide, maybe too ultra-wide open, variety of game winning strategies. Still... winning a bunch of games feels better than the other losing kind of streak. Those streaks were getting old and stale anyhow.

If we beat the Rags on Saturday for the serious 7th win in a row, Kent has promised that Westy will supply his own rum for at least one period. Westy is accepting donations now, just in case. Or by the case. Whatever.

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!