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RECAP #39: NUCKS WIN!!! (Really) Defeat Laffs and HNIC 3-2 in OT

3 Weeks Of No Nucks Hockey: Tough. Comeback Kids Win: Priceless

By jimmi.cynic
Toronto Maple Leafs v Vancouver Canucks
Windmill Holtz wins Game and the John Garret Trophy
Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images

You wouldn’t be alone thinking the Nucks were coming into this game already 20 goals, 8 games and 3 weeks behind. Especially after the HNIC setup for the easy 2 points for the most important team from the most important center of the universe.

And of course, the Laffs were already on the board a couple minutes in with Ni-Ni’s 10,000th NHL goal - according to HNIC Stats of Inflation.

5 minutes in, the Nucks looked gassed. The game thread were getting gassed - in liquid form.

Lol i just gotta laugh at myself

Like did I really think Edler wouldn’t take a stupid pedal in the first few minutes when we’re already down a goal? — Twitch

But, weirdly as the period wore on, the Nucks looked stronger. Not just on the PK. But the recurring Laffs 5 on 5 PP was looking for more, but not finding it.

Because...

THE WONDERFUL

You might recall that we burned JB for signing, at considerable cap cost, an alleged Vezina winning goalie. Holtz had a tough season - lost more games than won. And hadn’t won one since February.

He was saving his best game of the season. Even after having been infected with a brutal Covid variant, like so many of his teammates.

Holtz stopped 33 scoring chances from 39 shots against the best team in the division.

John Garrett would be proud of that save — Westy

Down just a goal after one, the Nucks smartest D-man with the most points of all Nucking time, decided, or didn’t decide, to take Fedling to another level. After a much too long 3 min shift, Eddie was going to the bench. Nothing was going to stop him. Not even Hyman’s knee.

The Toronto-based media and officials do not take kindly to a tired Fedler doing stupid things - like knee-on-knee hits. Eddie got 5 minutes and a game misconduct.

The game thread was irate.

Guess the official fedler count

will stop at the 5 or so he’s already done. Good nucking riddance. Hope they suspend him for 19 games. — Twitch

Why was that stupid Fedling hit and penalty in the Wonderful category?

Good question. Well... because it allowed the Nucks to almost get through the 5 min major and even better, let better D take on more minutes. Which having not played in 3 weeks, getting more minutes doesn’t make sense.

But, it’s the Nucks - playing in a lost season in a pandemic, so making sense is low on the making list.

No matter. Because Bo put the game on his back and the puck in the net.

This sneaky shot was the beginning of the first time this season the Nucks have come back from being down 2 goals. No, really.

Coming back after most of team had been infected with the Covid variant was the big talking point. Coming back from a 2 goal deficit? No one was talking about that.

Just getting on the board was enough for some.

BO!!!

What a shot. Not getting shut out. Impressive on only the 12th nucks shot of the game — jimmi

Even the Lord of the Internet was impressed.

I consider this effort a win — Westy

But wait! There’s more.

The Nucks started the 3rd a goal down and looking to tie it up.

I’m not making this up.

The refs fearing the worst, granted the Nucks their first PP of the game 5 minutes in. And miraculously, no harm was done.

good nucks pp

Didnt get scored on. Close… but did not — jimmi

And then the refs fears, HNIC fears, the Laffs fears were realised. Served in hot Pepper Pot style.

It’s a tie game and the Laffs are on the L-streak train to Station 4. They just don’t know it yet.

Somehow, after more Holtz Vezinatting stops, the Nucks win a point. Impressive.

And then in OT, with some smart possession play by our 30 minute man, Myers passes to Bo who knows how to beat Campbell. Again.

What a wonderful win after a horrible 3 weeks of viral roster devastation. Those left on the active roster really wanted to win this game.

THE NOT WONDERFUL

So many penalties... at least the Nucks lead as the most penalised team in the league appears safe.

The Division leading team out-played, out-skated, out-possessed the Nucks - it was a recurrent theme...

so so many

Laffs 5 on 5 power plays. Seems like most of the game. Refs still hate us. — jimmi

Previously known as a Nucking tire fire in their own end.

this season in a nutshell

get a goal, get so excited you can’t get the puck out of your own end for 3 days. — Twitch

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

We wanted the 2 Johns to bring us through the first loss back, but no, we get to hear the HNIC tears instead. Almost fair trade.

GAME STATS (Unbelievable. Other than the shot and penalty count)

SOG FO% PP PIM HITS BLKS GVA
Maple Leafs
TOR
 39 53% 1/4 2 13 13 5
Canucks
VAN
 24 47% 0/1 19 11 23 7


SHOT COUNT (Outshot all game - until OT)

Period TOR VAN
1st 12 8
2nd 15 5
3rd 12 10
OT 0 1
Total 39 24


PLAYER STATS (BO GOES!)

# 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 1 1 1 -1 3 0 3 0 0 1 0 19:21 1:56 --:-- 0
9 J.T. Miller 0 0 0 0 -1 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 46 21:59 1:56 2:10 0
13 J. Hawryluk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8:18 --:-- --:-- 0
20 B. Sutter 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 1 1 38 17:56 --:-- 5:24 0
24 J. Vesey 0 0 0 0 -1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 21:50 1:56 3:11 0
26 A. Roussel 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 1 2 0 1 100 14:10 --:-- 5:24 0
36 N. Hoglander 1 1 2 2 2 3 0 3 1 0 1 1 14:15 0:04 --:-- 0
44 T. Graovac 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 100 4:51 --:-- --:-- 0
53 B. Horvat 2 1 3 3 3 2 0 2 1 2 0 0 43 19:49 1:56 0:55 0
56 M. Michaelis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 100 7:29 0:04 --:-- 0
70 T. Pearson 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 16:51 0:04 0:56 0
72 T. Boyd 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 8:37 0:04 --:-- 0
# Defense GP G A P P +/- S PIM PIM SOG HITS BLKS GVA TKA FO% TOI PP TOI SH TOI PP GW
23 A. Edler 0 0 0 0 0 2 17 2 1 3 0 0 13:00 --:-- 2:00 0
27 T. Hamonic 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 4 0 0 25:13 --:-- 5:13 0
43 Q. Hughes 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 24:26 1:56 --:-- 0
55 G. Brisebois 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 11:31 --:-- 0:53 0
57 T. Myers 0 1 1 1 1 3 0 3 3 5 0 0 30:08 0:04 8:01 0
63 J. Chatfield 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15:15 --:-- 1:53 0
# Goalies GP REC GA SV SA S EV PP SH SAVE-SHOTS SV% PIM TOI GAA
49 B. Holtby -- 37 39 30–31 6–7 1–1 37–39 .949 0 61:17


Impressive Win Leads to Impressive Presser

What a game! What an effort!

I know that was a dumb win standings wise drafting position...

but it sure felt good to hand it to the #1 team, cotu, reffs, bettman et al.

that bo for ginger jesus trade really did work out

also, we beat a backup goalie! moral and actual victory! — copey

Once this actual unexpected victory glow wears off, the grind begins again on Tuesday. Against, yup, the leading (for now) team in the league. At our virtual ROG home.

Girdle your griddles and get ready for more of the weirdest season in hockey.

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