Conference Semi-Final Game 1 RECAP: NUCKS Get Skunked 5-Zip by the Stolen Knights

Trading Chances with Vegas? Was that the Nucks secret key to winning game 1?

Is there even a keyfob with big enough fobs to carry that key?

No. And No. And hell no.

Still... the Nucks have just beaten the former champs 48 hours ago. So... they’re tired and beat up and not ready for getting even more beat up.

And neither are we.

Doesn’t matter.

Nucks are the underdogs. There’s no pressure to win game 1 skating away anyhow. And most of the Nucks old dogs are too old to play the Vegas track meet young pup style.

And Vegas has had the easy path to round 2, the Nucks have had a doglegged route to the semis.

But, the Nucks have momentum on their side. Until the game started.

I have no clue what to expect from tonight

let’s hope it’s entertaining — Westy

Entertainment is overrated. Merely not playing in the turnover kitchen would be pretty good.

1st Period

Just a minute and a cross-checky bit, Eddie helped the Nucks PK. By going to the box.

And we have the first PK

Might as well get that out of the way. — Chicky

With that out of the way, the Nucks are looking to keep the scoreless lead.

And the Nucks held Vegas scoreless for half the period. And Brock almost scored. That’s entertainment you can take to the binge drinking game.

Also... the Stolen Nights aren’t on fire. Yet.

However they get the 1st goal of the game during a scheduled or unscheduled Nucks fire drill.

Just a lucky goal? Or a tiny taste of Vegas bitter puck cuisine? You decide.

The game thread already has.

uuuuck

canucks looked like they were all standing still there. Holy shit vegas has a good forecheck. — Twitchy

Sometimes

the Canucks unwillingness to take the body leads to bad things

1-0 Vegas — Westy

The period ends with a happy note.

Well I’m not totally surprised by that

And ok with it too. Nerves will be gone now. — Chicky

Game thread nerves are still nervous the Nucks have not really steeled their nerves, only paper machete’d them.

Shots are 12-8 Vegas. Hits are 21-11 Vegas and the lone goal is all Vegas. Ugh.

Oh well... the underdogs can bark back in the next 2 periods.

2nd Period

Or not.

Just a minute and $6.6 million in, Loui takes a high sticking penalty to the box.

It’s Swedish meatball PK time.

[redacted] hell

that goal is 100% on fucking edler. How does he not clear it there? — Twitchy

It’s now 2-0 Vegas and that’s not so bad.

Even better, the refs put Eddie in the box where he can’t hurt us. The Nucks PK goes out and scores 5 shorties.

Thanks for reading!

Instead.... the Nucks get hemmed in their own zone, Marky gets screened and Vegas is up... yup.. 3 freakin’ nothing!

But wait! There’s more. Vegas goals.

It is the turnover-based scoring attack. And the Knoghties are really good at taking advantage.

Both Miller and Hughes

stopped skating there and let him get in alone. Tanev isn’t known for his speed but he kept trying. This is not the canucks team that just beat St Louis. The give a fuck level is low. — Twitchy

It’s blow-out night in Canada. And the Canucks are the ones getting blown.

Oh well... there’s another period and another 6 3 games left in the series.

Vegas out shoot the Nucks 15-11 and worse, outscore them. Too many times.

Wow

that was a shitty period by the canucks. It looked like maybe 4 or 5 canucks were actually playing up to their level, the rest were in special ed land. Hughes in particular had a bad period. I hope the coach tears a bit of a strip off of them for the lack of compete level. Wrong team to play cautious and scared against. — Twitchy

3rd Period

The comeback kids aren’t coming back on the scoresheet. But maybe Roos can stir the stinky pot. With a hug on Reeves.

10 minute misconduct

for hugging. Wow NHL, wow. —Twitchy

There was some intermission chatter about putting Demko in for the 3rd. But Marky stayed in for the 5th Vegas goal.

Finally, Demko comes in and stops the net-bulges.

Better the Nucks run around in the Vegas zone than run around in their end.

a lot of adjustments to make

for Tuesday — Westy

Adjustments like Pete getting at least a shot on goal. And Huggy learning to breathe and skate while suffocated in coverage. And so on all through the line up. More pressure, more winning puck battles. Close the turnover oven and well... generally raise their game.

An ugly Nucks game against the team they have never beaten in regulation. About time they change that losing narrative.

Want to watch the HNIC clips? Me neither.

GAME STATS (Nothing to see here)

	SOG	FO%	PP	PIM	HITS	BLKS	GVA
Canucks VAN	26	64%	0/1	16	45	21	18
Golden Knights VGK	39	37%	1/3	2	54	25	21

PLAYER STATS (Not Much More To See)

Not a great night for Marky as he got Eddie Shellacked. His new record against the house: .888SV% and 4.2GA.

However, Demko did get a shutout in just 8:26. So... that’s pretty good.

How did the coach and players feel about making Vegas look like the best team on the strip... mall...

Out shot. Out hit. Out skated. Out competed. Out scored. However, the Nucks were the better team in the dot. That’s something build on.

Easily the worst Nucks game of the bubble hockey season. And easily the toughest opponent the Nucks have faced - faced when they weren’t getting turned around and losing coverage.

Oh well... a loss is a loss. 5-nothing or 1-0. Doesn’t matter. Except losing by one goal looks like there was a closer battle. Which this wasn’t.

Oh well... the underdogs were kicked to the curb. They will regroup and re-snarl on Tuesday. And guaranteed, after a 40 hour game tape review, the Nucks will have a bigger effort, a bigger bite and a smaller loss to take into game 3.

Go Canucks!