GAME RECAP #26: BB NUCKS WIN!!! Scorch LA 4-0

It seems like just 48 hours ago, the worst Nucking game of this worst season start in decades. But the Nucks (and Franny’s chequebook) have come a long way since then.

The long dark Nucking hockey death march that trudged through the first 25 has been transmuted, re-born, re-kindled, re-Bruced.

The #BRUCEBUMP is real, live and in-fist-bumped.

Would we see a difference in the team with Gabby at the line change controls?

It was simply .. amazing, to see the transformation. — Atty

And it makes us feel....

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Who knew a simple coaching change could lighten the mood and improve the team?

Well... I’m legally required to get this out of the way.

WESTY WAS MORE RIGHT THAN HE HAS A RIGHT TO!

jimmi.cynic

New 66-year-old coach makes the old (younger) 50 year old coach look old and stale. Westy should have told Franny earlier, but those righteous blueberries have left the fields of screams long ago. Or like Sunday.

Great game by the no-kidding-new-look Nucks. It was like a new new look. Hard on the puck. Tough forechecking. Making the visitors bake the turnovers in the ROG for a change - well... not all of them, but more of them and that’s what counts in turnover baking.

And... I’m not making it up, an effective PK - not just effective, but Pete drew a penalty shot call on the PK! And scored!

Ok Scott Walker has fixed our PK in one day...with a bonus Penalty Shot cherry on top — ‘82

Ok, the last bit about scoring is made up. But still... Nucks PK looked like.... anything but a Nucks PK. It was aggressive and... seemed confident.

I like this new look penalty kill. Specifically, I like how it ends without the other team scoring. — Gwailoh

Not only was the PK doing what in another market might be considered normal, but the Nucking PP scored TWO GOALS!

No, really.

And Brock scored the Nucking 1st goal of the game on the PP!

No, really.

Brock shot going wide, gets the Pouty Doughty redirect. We’ll take it!

We were asking for a Pete-Gnarly-Podz line - for many, many games. And Gabby did not deny us. He probably got most of his winning tactics from scanning NM in recent weeks. Or not.

Anyhow the newly formed PGP was buzzing. And scoring.

Demmers was making saves and the Nucks getting more goals.

Lammy gets his 1st as a Nuck - because Nucking forecheck pressure. Bruce might play him more... when he gets to know his what his name is.

U-Haul Lammiko finally delivers! — Raddy

Or maybe it’s...

Lamb Chops Lammikko! — Gwailoh

And even better... good JT plays better on the PP with Bruce making some tweaks and Miller launching rockets from Petey’s spot.

This feel-good hockey fantasy league feels much better than the drudgery of playing in the tough NHL.

Shout out to Demko! 1st star of the game and 1st shutout of the season. Finally getting his save percentage back up where it belongs. Good defensive structure (not the tirefire moments) and aggressive forechecking ALL game kept the lead. Who knew just a simple coaching change could do it?

Westy is not allowed to answer that question.

This style of game was what we were hoping for... but had forgotten about... because... reasons...

Wow. This is what it’s like to watch exciting hockey. Been about a couple years. — marcness52

What did Gabby have to do? Game thread thought it wasn’t much.

BB is thinking, while the Nucks are steamrolling the Kings: “hmm, so why exactly do these guys need me here?” — Atty

BUMPED UP VIDEO REPLAY

Old timey hockey with the 2 Johns is fun!

GAME STATS (winning stats are the best stats of all)

	SOG	FO%	PP	PIM	HITS	BLKS	GVA
Kings LAK	31	47%	0/2	8	17	14	7
Canucks VAN	30	53%	2/4	4	31	11	10

WINNING SHOT COUNTS (Nucks had more juicy scoring chances than LA)

PLAYER STATS (Brock in the good column - baker’s dozen games later)

IMPRESSORS

Pete on PK and drawing calls? Sure. He’s ready for it.

Petey looking good on the new look PK that is making everyone look twice — Gwailoh

And Brock got advise from the shooting whisperer. As Demmers gets from the stopping whisperer. Demmers was feeling weird today. Good thing he doesn’t read NM Gamethreads.

And finally in the Gabby room, his first Nucking presser was fun to watch! 1st day on the job and happy to make correctable grammatic mistakes. Westy can help with that too.

What a fun game! A feel good story for a last-chance Bruce. Gets his first Nucking win. That’s great!

Now he only has to make us feel good, 56 more times. And if there’s 50 wins included that would be just fine. Not natural, but if Bruce can make winning a Nucking habit, we can take the Westy smug-gling, until he’s gets arrested at the border.

The border of new coach bump and Nucking puck luck.

We can hope for the best and prepare for the... no... no Nucking fan can prepare for the early season we went through. The worst is behind us (this decade) and the best is yet to come.

I don’t know for sure. So... whenever the future is uncertain, NM polls will let us slip off the beer goggles to peer deeply into the hockey abyss.