RECAP: NUCKS WIN! A Squeaker. Edge Isles 5-4 In Extra Extra Shooting Time

It’s the last home game of this not-that-great home stand. It’s the last chance to head out on the road to possible playoff hell packing a 500 record in those fancy road jerseys.

The Isles, like this afternoon’s Nucks, are on the outside of the wild card game - in the east. They’re sporting a 6 game L-streak. Not much sport in that.

The Nucks are sporting a much more clean shaven 1 goal L-streak. And not proud of it.

Two desperate teams enter the ROG.

And...

Two desperate teams leave.

One with 1 point and one with 2.

We’re the one with 2 points. Thank our lucky squeakers. And squeaker stopper, Demmer.

Was it a great game? Yes, because we won.

Did the Nucks play a great low event playoff game? Next question.

1st Period

It’s a minute in and the Nucks haven’t given up the first goal. That’s pretty good.

It’s 2 minutes in and the Nucks have given up the first goal. That’s not so good.

Do we blame the Myers/Fantenberg pairing? Could do. But let’s save something for later.

Before we can widen our fanten-whine or complete the first goal announcement in the ROG, we see some feisty 3rd line feistiness. The scoring play won’t show how feisty Roos was before Nucks entered the zone. He was chirping Clustershuck and making trouble. In the best possible way.

It’s a bump ‘n grind greasy Gaudy goal. Tips a shot from Eddie for Eddie’s 400th point as the Nucks #1 D. (Cue: NM grumbling).

It’s all knotted up 1-1. Like the game thread.

Nice third line

great third line — Westy

It’s an action packed period. And the elite action is just getting started.

Not a minute after tieing it up, Huggy sends a breakout pass to the top trio. Pete puts the puck right on Toffee’s stick using Alien cross-ice hover-puck power. And Toffee puts the puck top shelf where Cupcakes go to score.

We’re pretty excited. Watching the Nucks take the lead.

Boy, lots of action really fast this game

Keep it up, lots of goals is awesome.* — radivel

*goals by Nucks

Not all, however, because one goal leads aren’t the leading cause of NM happiness.

More goals...

they need more

2-1 Canucks — Westy

And in the final minute, BarSale dekes Huggy and EverBee dekes Demmer and the Nucks narrow lead is narrow no more.

Tie game. Again. 2-2 to end the 1st.

Isles outshoot the Nucks 18-14. Thanks to the Isles getting a minute of 5-on-3 PP time. This period the refs use most of their penalty quota.

Doesn’t matter. Demmers was the best Nucks PK player and will have to be again... but I’ve said too much.

2nd Period

Who gets the first goal of this period is critical. Why?

Because it means the Nucks can play from behind with the lead again.

And because it’s 3rd line’s a charm night in the ROG, Zack Mac charms a tip. From Eddie, for his 401st Nucks point.

Zack back on the sheet!

Nucks lead 3-2. It’s the safest lead since the last safest lead.

Maybe safer, if Demmer spoils the highlight reel 2-on-1.

Just when we thought we could exit the period with the commanding lead... well... stuff happens. Hand passes happen. Or don’t. Did in Fantenberg’s mind. Or...

Wow fantenberg

reading the christian ehrhoff ‘big book of defending badly’, I see. — Twitchy

Also... it was kind of a weak goal for Demmer too.

well, Demmer let his inner Marky of 2017 in there — copey

Altho...

only fair

since he channeled his inner Marky of 2019 a couple times as well — jimmi

Doesn’t matter. Tied game.

Doesn’t matter.

Because the Nucks get their 3rd (and final) PP. It’s time to make them pay.

Sweet moves from Huggy pulls a defender out of position to setup the Tic-Tac-Goal scored by Capt’n Bo!

The invincible one goal lead is restored!

Nucks finish the period up 4-3 and win the shot clock bonus 14-11.

Also... won the postal award. Again. Stetch got free ironing in the ROG.

3rd Period

In 3rd periods, the Nucks have given up the lead 3 times in the last 5 games.

Some say the Nucks are unable to hold leads. Others say the game thread can’t hold their liquor. Truth is where you find it, face down behind the couch.

There’s many ways you can protect the fragile, but totally safe lead. I can’t share them on the internet, because the Nucks believe they are some sort of mystical secret that can only be revealed by the the one thousand blown-lead journey.

What happened next is one of those blows.

Gaud gets sent to the box for his weak sin.

In protest, the Nucks PK, which had been aggressive on the previous odd-man disadvantage, play possum. The passive possum gambit. Let the Isles play the full 2 minutes in the zone. Shooting shot after shot on Demmer.

And Demmer stopped they all. Yay!

At the last second of the PK, the Isles score. Boo!

Wow

that PK was brutal. I don’t think they touched the puck for 2 minutes. — Twitchy

To be fair, Demmer touched the puck. A lot. Even held it for a faceoff. Which was lost.

It’s a 4-4 tie. Not even 3 minutes into the 3rd.

Your Vancouver Porous Canucks have blown the lead. Again.

Before we can pour ourselves another pour of our fave game thread liquid consolation, spontaneous ironing broke out in the ROG.

Miller with the post bender

perfect 3 pass play and clangs it off the iron — Ten

And then...

Shotgun Jake off the crossbar!

beauty breakout and pass, then more millimetres of bad luck — Ten

It’s also official. No more penalties will be called by the people whose job it is to call penalties when egregious infractions occur.

The game thread understands the reffing quota.

Oh FFS!! cheapshotting Pete like

the NHL doesn’t employ refs. Oh… wait… — jimmi

At least Toffoli jumped on the infractioner to inflict some frontier justice.

Still the game thread is puzzling over the once-clear rulebook.

wtf is with these refs?

these aren’t questionable offenses, they’re blatant, still not called. — Twitchy

Gaudette literally wrapped up as he tried to get in leading to extended zone time in Canucks end. — marcness52

I’m trying to remember the last time an interference penalty was called. January, maybe?

If you know for sure, please call the NM Infracted Hotline.

And of course, since it’s crunch time... Tanev goes down the hall with an undisclosed injury. He returned to the game, but then returned to the room.

Finally the period, the game settles into a place in the ROG called, win-a-point.

And both teams do. Isn’t that fair?

Thanks partially to the extended full 2 minutes of passive PK time and the Nucks nervous passive play, the Isles outshoot our home team, 16-5. Not a pretty stat.

But, the Nucks have a pretty point and not even the refs can take it away now.

OT

We’re all set for a repeat of Pete to Huggy OT magic in the first few moments. And we wait.

And wait some more.

It’s 4 minutes in and the Isles have put 4 shots on Demmer. The Nucks none on Varmissikov.

Finally in the last few seconds, Bo gets the puck to Pete to Hughes and it’s delayed OT gratification. But worth it.

Except the OT gratification period has expired.

Doesn’t matter.

Because Demmer has just recorded his first shut out of the game.

SO

Watch now as Demmer records his 2nd shut out of the game. And Millsie pots the only goal of the Shooting Out section of the program.

The game thread is cheering Millsie. Coolly.

Miller the iceman

just says: “Bah: I’ll just rip it.”

and then skates away without any expression on his face like it ain’t no thing — Ten

It’s the BIGGEST WIN in Canucks history!

This week. With a 5-4 squeak past the meek Islanders who extend their streak to 7 without a win.

It’s a vital 2 points won, in a fairly precarious fashion. Not the time to care about fashion. Just wins.

The 2 Johns were hungry after this one. Or it was just me.

GAME STATS (Squeaky Stats)

PLAYER STATS (let’s end the Fantenberg/Myers experiment now)

Demmer with 45 saves, 2 shut outs and a .918 SV% in a single game. He’s our first star.

Officially it was Tofolli as the 1st star, but we aren’t feeling too sympathetic with officials this time of the season. The nearly no-rules NHL hockey season.

Was great to have Brock back. He didn’t light the lamp, but gets to light up the presser.

Zack is back and talking dirty. Areas.

Over in the Green Room, the level was competing for comments.

After all the squeaking was over the Nucks are back in the wild parts of the cards. Hold the 1st wild spot. With just their 2nd win in 7 games, they are holding that 1st spot about as well as they hold 1 goal leads.

Next up, the drought-stricken desert. Nucks in Glendale to help the local taxpayers pay down the huge debt in their Bettman barn of deserted dreams. And to play the Yotes who last game, lost to Winterpeg, so that must mean they will lose to us, because... northern exposure.

Get your march of cheers ready to hit the ice, the TV, the pillows on Thursday.