PLAYOFF ROUND 1 GAME 2 RECAP: NUCKS DEFEAT Blues & Refs 4-3 in OT!

If you were thinking they would comeback and pushback on the Nucks, you were thinking correctly. And not just the refs, the Bruisers were gooning it up too - to the delight of the refs and semi-sober Burkie on HNIC.

Doesn’t matter.

What matters is this is a tight-knit Nucks team like we haven’t seen in a long, long time. This group of young feisty players have the Blues right on the edge of elimination. Oh wait... this isn’t a 5 game series. Great. Thanks NHL.

Fine. We’ve beaten the Blues in 2 games. We can beat them in another 2 too.

The Nucks led by Capt’n Bo and Marky are willing themselves past the big bad Blues. While not dominant in 5-on-5 play, the Nucks PP and PK are making white-Nuckled history. Right in front of our bubble eyes.

This game was played on a Friday afternoon, for reasons that working people at NM will not understand. I know, it’s hard to understand that there might still be people at NM that work for a living. But... we live in strange times.

And it’s a strange afternoon tilt in strange times. Let’s get on it.

1st Period

No, not you Blues. Their first couple shifts were putting pressure on the Nucks. Game thread was a little nervy. Again.

Geez

the team looking like they have butterflies the first 2 minutes… — Twitchy

Doesn’t matter.

Special Ed will settle things down.

Elder is the winner of first penalty — Westy

Doesn’t matter.

Good PK let’s have a better PP — Twitchy

They don’t.

Doesn’t matter.

Because Roos has a method in his penalty-taking madness. Not that we can see, but... you know... doesn’t matter.

Because... Capt’n Bully Bully Bo on the PK goes through 2 Blues to score the shortie. (Sad that Shortie wasn’t there to call it)

Bo-rtuzzi Horvat!

Holy shit what a power forward move. — Twitchy

Looks like I tuned in at a good time

I got to see Bo McDavid join our team. — radivel

And then one of the nastiest slights an HNIC official mouthpiece can perform, happened. On live Bubble TV.

Cuthbert just compared Bo to Messier in 94

I threw up a bit in my mouth — Westy

And some wonder why I bemoan the tone deaf programming department at Sportynet HNIC. C***butt needs a 20 game suspension for that cheap shot.

BRING BACK THE 2 JOHNS HNIC!!!

Doesn’t matter. Because that’s the GWG right there. Or as the NHL calls them the PWG (Period Winning Goal). It was both, but we didn’t know that yet. And probably never will because the refs are on a mission to steal a game. From us.

Does it matter that the Blues hit harder and more often and outshot the Nucks 12-10 through 1? No, it does not.

Does it matter that the refs are already calling twice as many Nuck penalties as Bluiser ones? No, it doesn’t.

Great 1st period

Jimmi will have to make shit up to make them look bad — Westy

Did you see the part where I said we won the game?

2nd Period

The Nucks have the commanding 1 goal lead, which is among the safest leads to have after the 1st period.

The sad Blues are losing. And they’re not good losers. But they are pretty good at goon hockey. So that’s something. Stupid.

The Nucks are fighting off cheapshots. Pete is getting mugged on every shift. The refs have cataracts when a Nucks player gets hit in the numbers and shoved dangerously into the boards.

Doesn’t matter.

Really, it doesn’t. As hard as the Blue crew pushes and chops, the Nucks take it, give it back and gift wrap it on their measly few PPs.

Or on the PK, if you ask Miller. He jumped out of the box, onto the puck and beat Beenington stone cold.

Of course, the refs had to call back the goal, on the fake offside.

Too close to call? Not for NHL officials with a specific game plan. Can’t see the obvious boarding, but those micron-sized bluesline plays... oh yeah.

Doesn’t matter.

Because if the Nucks aren’t allowed to beat you with the shortie, they’ll beat you with the longie. The short long slot Pearson PP shot.

The Nucks are leading 3 2-nothing.

The angry Blues aren’t coming back.

Or are they?

It’s another Nucks PK... 6th or 7th... we’re not counting. And then the game thread goes into its special place.

Fucking bullshit call

Expected from the refs — Westy

Absolute shit call led to a goal — Westy

Sucks to get a goal against

but really sucks when it’s the refs who score it. Fucking joke — Twitchy

To add specialness to insult, Eddie knee-whiffed on his coverage of ROR. To be fair, O’Really is probably the only likeable player on the Blue Bags of Douche.

We’ll let him have his first goal of the Bubble Era and move on. Also, his last. He’ll be even more likeable when leaves on a plane next Tuesday.

Anyhow... the Nucks went 11 minutes without a shot on goal in the period. Doesn’t matter.

What matter is the Nucks won the period. Not on the shot count, they were outshot 13-6. Or on the penalty count. Oh, no. They won the box count. By a lot.

That period

was all blues. Well, all blues and refs. — Twitchy

3rd Period

Nucks still have their safe one goal lead. Just with different digits.

That works for us.

What works even better is extending the lead.

Could the Nucks PP with batter-up Pete score it? Yes, indeed.

It’s a 4 3-1 Nucks lead. Game is over.

Just keep the lead until that one second past 19:59 buzzer.

Simple. But... then Special Ed makes the wrong clearing pass at the wrong time.

No worries. Back to the safest lead in hockey.

And then...

It’s a borderline high stick goal against us with 6 seconds remaining. We could still win the call. LOL.

hrmmm

will a borderline call go the canucks way?

Fuck no, of course not. — Twitchy

Game thread is taking the tie really well.

Well the blues have played really well

but jeezus it’s hard to beat both the other team AND the fucking refs. St. Louis goal recap: 2 for the refs and 1 for edler. — Twitchy

Maybe they did. But, these aren’t the hungry Blues. This is the bored of dEdmonton Blues. Understandable.

But, still the game thread isn’t enjoying the hAlberta frontier justice hockey league.

It’s so annoying that shitty teams always have to have like 8 things go right for them to win games like this

or get that many non-calls, hit the nucks in the numbers from behind without penalties, and so on — radivel

In a freak statistical error, the refs award the only PP of the period to the Nucks. Should have been several more...

Just once I would like to see the

Refs call a cross check.. just once. That was horrible non call — Chicky

But... there’s the ref rules thing...

The refs know the rules

one of which is “don’t ever call it when it could give the canucks a win.” — Twitchy

Fine. It’s a tie game. Doesn’t matter.

OT (FFS!)

We’re pissed at the game thread. Or the game thread is pissed. Pass the rum.

Doesn’t matter. Because... Capt’n Bo will beat the Blues in any period the lame refs choose.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

First Star – Bo Horvat

Second Star – Bo Horvat

Third Star – Bo Horvat

— radivel

Neutron star - Bo Horvat — Westy

Enjoy the video recap, as much as one can without 2 Johns calling this big game.

GAME STATS (Winning Stats. Pretty much)

PLAYER STATS (Bolicious stats!)

Beaten up. By the refs. And the Blues. Doesn’t matter.

This Nucks team never gives in or gives up. They believe in each other. And play hard for each other. And us.

Let’s hear from our Bubble Hockey Heroes.

Nucks Playoff Checklist:

Elevating their game? Check.

Playing as a unit? Check

Winning Special Team Battles? Check

Gutting out wins? Check

Are we believers yet? Yes, we are. Can the Nucks keep elevating their game? Yes, they can. Can the game thread elevate their threading game? Well... 2 out of 3 is pretty good.

We get a couple good sleeps and then we get another chance to witness possible Nucks history live from the Bubble Zone on a hot August night. How exciting!