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Nucks learned their lessons last week. New lessons this week are harder; learn better.
The unexpected win on Saturday in the Peg was all the Nucks needed. So... why show up for this futility on ice folly in Montreal?
Don’t know. Don’t care. And neither do the Nucks.
From the their best game of the season to their worst road game of the season. Is it any wonder roller coaster metaphors are so popular in NucksNation.
First there were a few issues with this game.
- It’s Monday. Nucks hockey is not meant for Mondays. No, really.
- It’s an afternoon game - by wet coast time - on a Monday. Monday afternoon Nucks games and rainy days are not good game thread companions.
- It was raining on the wet coast all day. Even the clouds were crying over this travesty of an alleged pro hockey team.
THE GOOD:
- The game is over. The pressure of extending a 4 game win streak is over.
- Beagle gets a goal. Too little too late, but still...
- Gaud helped himself to a goal - as penance for his PP own-zone turnover that created the GA.
- Could have been worse. (don’t ask how - just know it could have been)
- Nucks play the Sens twice next month.
- Only have to play the Habs 5 more times this season. How good is that? (see below)
THE BAD:
- Have to play the Habs 5 more times this season. Bring up the Taxi, the Uber and the Beer squads. Current roster has been fully compromised by Claude.
- Have a shaky 1st period on the road. That’s not so bad. Only 3-1 after 1. How it got to 3-1 that is very bad.
Let the game thread try to explain what I can’t.
good defense, team
way to leave Suzuki standing around like a tourist 1 foot in front of the crease — radivel
Pete was the last of the Nucks back checkers and if he’d cared to hustle might have saved that goal... but was PO’d because he was thinking offence before the Montreal blueline turnover turned the play the other way. The bad way.
Not one for apologies...
And I’m sorry
but Braden Holtby needs to make a big save somewhere, sometime. The second goal and third goal were both stoppable pucks. If we just wanted a goalie to stop the easy ones, we could hire a tall fat guy and pay him a few grand to stand in the net. — Twitchy
From the net out it was...uh...
Well
That was a crappy start. — Westy
In this game, it’s not just the start that’s bad...
Well then
nothing like a giveaway, odd man rush and a goal against one minute in. — Twitchy
Enough of the bad parts. Although we kinda wish their more of those than...
THE FUGLY:
- 2nd period Collapocolypse? Check.
- More road turnovers than Ottawa? Check.
- Worst game of the year for the 1st line? Check.
- Worst game of the year for Holtby? Check.
- More than 7 Turnovers? Check. 11 to be exact. Worse... the Habs baked 17 for the guests, but Nucks needed 177 Hab turnovers to build an appetite for getting this game to OT.
That’s the short list. The full big ass game thread list:
Let’s see
Powerplay: Ass
Passing: Ass
PK: Average
Goaltending: Ass – average
1st Line: Ass
Defense: Ass plus hole
Virtanen: Full Jake
Give a Fuck Level: minimal
Hoglander: Little Pepper Pot but still ass
Yup, it’s Canucks. — Twitchy
Because Westy granted permission to post his astute analysis and my temper tantrum is making it difficult to type...
The early game is wasted
as the Canucks defense craps the bed. Jimmi you can quote me here.
The Canadians are better at forcing turnovers at the offensive blueline. Green has to have a better breakout system for these players because they can’t seem to pass it under pressure. They can’t seem seem to skate it out against a speedy Montreal team. — Westy
Top line looked terrible
how quickly it disappears. JT Miller looked like a pylon. — Westy
Not even the 2 Johns can chew their way through this one. (watch, but turn off the sound and close your eyes)
GAME STATS (Déjà Vu All Over Again)
| SOG | FO% | PP | PIM | HITS | BLKS | GVA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canucks
VAN
|
29 | 49% | 0/3 | 6 | 30 | 9 | 11 |
Canadiens
MTL
|
40 | 51% | 1/3 | 6 | 26 | 13 | 19 |
PLAYER STATS (Look for the tin lining)
| # | Forwards | GP | G | A | P | P | +/- | S | PIM | PIM | SOG | HITS | BLKS | GVA | TKA | FO% | TOI | PP TOI | SH TOI | PP | GW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | B. Boeser | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:55 | 4:12 | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 9 | J.T. Miller | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100 | 18:33 | 4:12 | 1:19 | 0 | |||
| 18 | J. Virtanen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14:21 | 1:30 | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 20 | B. Sutter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 14:09 | --:-- | 3:01 | 0 | |||
| 36 | N. Hoglander | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:06 | 1:48 | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 40 | E. Pettersson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 15:22 | 4:12 | --:-- | 0 | |||
| 53 | B. Horvat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 17:53 | 4:12 | --:-- | 0 | |||
| 64 | T. Motte | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14:16 | --:-- | 1:31 | 0 | |||
| 70 | T. Pearson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17:34 | 1:48 | 2:23 | 0 | ||||
| 71 | Z. MacEwen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:48 | 0:18 | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 83 | J. Beagle | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 14:50 | --:-- | 2:12 | 0 | |||
| 96 | A. Gaudette | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 11:20 | 1:48 | --:-- | 0 |
| # | Defense | GP | G | A | P | P | +/- | S | PIM | PIM | SOG | HITS | BLKS | GVA | TKA | FO% | TOI | PP TOI | SH TOI | PP | GW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | J. Benn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:56 | --:-- | 2:09 | 0 | ||||
| 23 | A. Edler | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:48 | --:-- | 4:18 | 0 | ||||
| 43 | Q. Hughes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19:56 | 4:12 | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 57 | T. Myers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 20:05 | --:-- | 2:18 | 0 | ||||
| 63 | J. Chatfield | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:25 | --:-- | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 88 | N. Schmidt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 20:30 | 1:48 | 1:41 | 0 |
| # | Goalies | GP | REC | GA | SV | SA | S | EV | PP | SH | SAVE-SHOTS | SV% | PIM | TOI | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | B. Holtby | -- | 34 | 40 | 30–34 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 34–40 | .850 | 0 | 60:00 |
The Canucks have managed to become the Habs’ western Sens, the smoked meat of Montreal, Foie Gras Poutine with sticks.
The Nucks play was so bad, so stupid, so the week before last.
They knew what to do. Play like they did against the Jets.
Manage the puck. Be hard on the puck. Play team D. Play D. Mind the Gap. Mind the minder.
But noooooo.... they had to go the full Larson.
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What is there left to say... the 3rd period? Maybe tomorrow.
well, I’ve had enough
on top of sucking badly, they also have terrible luck — radivel
Time for some pithy repartee or grunted excuses...
The Montreal media frenzy isn’t as viscous as the Montreal goal frenzy.
Hear from Gaudette, Schmidt and Holtby, followed by Coach Green. https://t.co/n4uH8NFhrj
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) February 2, 2021
At least it can’t get any worse. The Nucks don’t face the Habs again this year. Instead, due to Covidian health and safety guidelines, especially Nucking fan mental safety, believe the league will postpone the remaining Habs vs Nucks barely-farming team until late in the season. In 2023.
If belief in NHL Mercy Rules isn’t strong enough, perhaps the Nucks can just play like a hard-to-play against team and lose tomorrow night with dignity having fought the good fight. Much preferable to getting paid millions to play sloppy beer hockey that makes us spit beer and venom on our screens.