RECAP: NUCKS Reap The Collapsalypse! Lose Lead, Drop Game 5-3

Where to start? The end or the beginning?

Or the end of the beginning. Doesn’t matter.

What matters is the Nucks who were 1st in the Pacific after the AS break are now clinging to the 1st WC spot. And from the performance in these 3 road outings, there’s sheer plastic wrap with better clinging power.

The Nucks had this game won. From minute 1 to minute 50.

Then tired legs, minds and slack play turned a sure 2 points into sure crap.

Is there any point covering the entire game? Of course there is. As soon as any good reason is found, we’ll state it. Until then, let’s just savour the best parts.

And barf up the bad parts, like the Nucks coughing up the puck again and again late in the 3rd.

It was a masterful road game. To start.

1st Period

Unlike every other game on this waste of games trip, the Nucks played better than the home team. And drew a call.

Even better. The power play is clicking.

Slick slap pass from Pete to Bo and the Nucks have the FIRST Goal of the Game! Woooooo!

One minute in and one goal lead. On the road! We’re so winning this game.

And to prove it’s true, Pete tips a Meyer’s wrister for another Nucks goal!

It’s 2-0 Nucks! In the first! On the road!

The game thread is unprepared.

A ‘lead’

what is this welcome sorcery? — Copey

But then the BJ’s bite back and get their own first goal of the game. A dirty greasy goal.

The game thread? Not thrilled.

the nux score pretty goals

and give up garbage goals — copey

At least the Nucks have the 2nd safest lead in hockey to finish the period. Dominate the fresh home team and outshoot them 14-16. And Lu 2.0 is looking pretty solid.

This is a start

now keep it going… — Westy

2nd Period

Message in a rum bottle received. Ocean currents on the internet are favourable today.

Just a minute and change in, the PMT line is creating havoc. And scoring.

Great clear from Stetch, sweet feed from Pete and Millise zings it off the post and in. 3 point night for Pete and J.T.

JT Miller is the man

Petey has heard my complaints — Westy

2 goal lead restored! 3-1 Nucks. We’re so winning this game.

The Nucks get 3rd PP and while they moved the puck well... it’s no Nucks goals, no more.

In the entire game. But we didn’t know that yet, otherwise we would have kicked down the door to the wine cellar and never bothered to come up for the 3rd.

A little later in the period, it was a Zack attack on Matteau. The fight was called a win for Zack on a technical helmet knock off.

The Nucks controlled play for most of the period. Outshot the Jackets 18-11 and have padded their lead. We’re so winning this game.

I get home, and the Nucks are winning...

…let’s see if I bring bad luck! It’s a test! — radivel

At NM we hate tests. Of any kind. Written, oral or tests of willpower. We have enough trouble when the Nucks test our patience. Which is so often, that we hardly flinch. Every other shift.

3rd Period

The Nucks start the 3rd strong. It was the middle bit to the final minutes that sucked. More than anything has sucked in the last 20 lost games.

Sutz gets a grade A chance and doesn’t take the shot.

Holy fuck Sutter

shoot the puck — Westy

Motte rings a shot off the post. And out.

The tide of checking is changing. Many tired Nucks aren’t finishing their checks like they were earlier. In the 1st the Nucks delivered at least 10 hits. In the 3rd, just 2.

The Collapsalypse is Coming.

Game is now going towards the bottom of the 3rd. And Bo is going to the dressing room. With the medical guy. Probably not to talk about hangnail treatments.

Nooooooo

Faeries keep your greasy paws off the captain! — Twitchy

Bo returns a few shifts later. Seems to be ok. But is he?

There’s a turnover at the Nucks blueline, Bo’s man leaves him far behind and tucks the puck upstairs where Lu 2.0 doesn’t like puck tucking to happen.

Instantly, the standard NM defence is issued.

Marky wouldn’t have stopped that shot

it was top corner — Westy

However, it was a lazy backcheck the game thread can’t abide.

Fuuuuuuuuck

Once again, lazy casual play by the Canucks when we have a lead. Does this team even want to make the playoffs? That they haven’t learned this lesson yet is disturbing. — Twitchy

And then... lazy play is compounded by taking a lazy penalty. Foundationally lazy. Sutz is in the O-zone, loses his skates, the puck and his man is going the other way. Sutz reaches out and trips his man.

The 2nd safest lead in hockey now depends on the effectiveness of the Nucks PK against the Faery-culled Jackets PP.

With a foundation of the PK in the box and Special Ed caught in an ice gravity well... well.. the Jackets score on the PP.

It’s a tie. On Canucks Casual Sunday. Doesn’t sound right.

While some in the game thread were negotiating with the hockey gods for a 1 point, almost win, the Nucks were trying to press. For the lead.

Instead what was pressed was PK luck. And there’s no PK luck left in the jar.

Roos who was having a slightly better game than the last one, takes a lazy penalty. And the no-aggression Nucks PK creates only agro in the game thread. Oh... and another Jackets goal.

The winning goal. For the wrong team. At the right time. For the wrong team.

The Collapsalypse is Complete.

Or is it? The desperation is a little late for a comeback in the final minute.

In the game thread the mood is better than expected.

Fuck

This team and their casual play with a lead. Over and over again. Two goal lead pissed away in 2 minutes.

Annnd then

Panic hockey and a stupid penalty. Leadership group on this team needs to give their heads a shake.

Collapse complete

Buhbye playoffs. Blames yourselves canucks.

Canucks call timeout

A bit late, Travis. Send the C and all the As to the fucking farm team to learn to play with a little fucking urgency and a lead. — Twtichy

If Green had called a timeout after the Carumbus 1st goal of the period, maybe it would have given the Nucks the focus on the finish. Or not.

Just to put a little salt in the open bleeding goals, the Jackets score the EN and win a game 5-3 that they had lost 3-1 for many periods. Or at least 2 periods. That I can count.

Except I can’t count. Can only toss bad words at the TV. They bounce off the TV and hit me in the schnoz. Now I’m really pissed. Not just at the Nucks, but at the TV and the Nucks. But mainly the Nucks.

Can the 2 Johns figure this out for us? Probably not.

GAME STATS (What’s the point?)

PLAYER STATS (does take a team to win a game - or lose it)

After last night’s loss I noted that Millsie and Roos were chirping each other. Will Roos be back chirping the Faeries after the long flight home?

Or you might ask: How could they let this happen? Or the game thread might ask...

they played 10 near perfect minutes of the 3rd....

then it just goes insane, déja vu all over again

that’s like what, 5 times this season?

why are they so facking incapable of playing 60 mins?

why do I watch these games?

why?

? — copey

At least the twitterverse was playing with intensity after the worst Collapsalypse in recent memory. Fortunately, most Nucks fans only have a couple weeks of long term memory. Before that, it is just deep emotional scarring at a cellular level.

Not a great first presser for Lu 2.0 - he took some responsibility for the loss. Tough 1st game.

Millsie handles the presser like a vet. Like a leader.

If you want to follow some twiddlers reaction from Millsie’s honest assessment, go here.

There was no Green Room to be found. Only a dashing reporter’s quote from Trav as he left the rink for the drinking section of the long flight home.

Brendan Batchelor

Also Travis was quoted as saying:

“I’m feeling for our guys in the room right now. A pretty good road game. Tough game.

”We were managing the game real well, then they get the two power plays. We didn’t do the job on the PK.”

Or before the PK. And before the 2nd poor PK.

This road trip could have been worse. Could have lost 4 straight, instead of 3 straight. So that’s something to take the weeping towel, wrap it around your face and just let go with both ducts.

In previous seasons this sort of fold ‘em hockey was near normal. This season, we expected more wins than losses. Maybe the 9-3 win against that team was the peak of the year. Maybe this pressure to make the playoffs, never mind a deep run, is for another season.

Maybe the Nucks young, old, and in-between can regroup for the most, no-kidding-around most important full 60 minute win on Wednesday at home against the desert dogs of Glendale - who like the Nucks, have only won 2 games in their last 5. The Nucks, NM, but mainly the Nucks must ensure that we are on the 3 wins in 6 games 500 stat sheet.

This is the last stretch of the stretch. No more fooling around. No more excuses. Win 10 more and all is forgiven. Or not. Win 15 more and we can talk about it.