GAME RECAP #9: NUCKS WIN! (Really!) Grind Pens into 5-1 Chicken Feed

A few hours ago, Beggsy was calling this game a scheduled loss. Westy had dived deep into the Historic Gif Record searching for miracles.

Miracle granted.

Except this wasn’t a miraculous ugly, lucky 1 goal win. The Nucks were the better team for MOST of the game. Really.

Your Vancouver Canucks - or their Replacements - scored 3 goals in the 3rd period!

3 Unanswered goals in the 3rd! I’m not making it up.

Through 7 or 8 games (can’t remember - was emotionally compromised), Nucks had only scored 3 goals in the 3rd.

Remember those Nucks lost leads in the 2nd and 3rd and made more mistakes than Westy makes guarantees? Not available tonight. It’s a miracle!

Or just a good, hard won win.

THE GREAT

Best game of the season so far! No kidding.

Easily the best game they played this year. Bent a little at the start of the 1st and 3rd, but played smart, contained hockey overall. Despite the Pens missing on a few backdoor plays and Letang’s late dipsy-doodle, there was no fire-wagoning, no bumper car sharts. They capitalized on opportunities and kept discipline. And Spencer Martin is the first star: he made at least half a dozen fine stops. Give that man more work! — copey2

B-b-but...

You might be setting a really low bar, there — Atty

But still... how about that Spencer record.

Bo had 2 goals! On the PP! Not making it up.

Kuz now has goals in back-to-back games. And Mikheyev had 2 helpers.

Petey the Great 2-Way Forward was phenomenal 5-on-5 and the PK. Kept Malkin frustrated all game. Didn’t get the points to show for it - but Pete was a force for Nucking goodness defending and offensiviating. He setup the Kuz goal - stealing the puck and turning the play the other way. The good way.

The Depleted Nucks kept Sid the old Kid off the scoreboard. No one predicted that. Except Brise - who played a mistake-free game against Sid. No, really.

THE GOOD

Nucks only allowed a single goal in the game. And no goals in the 3rd. Only took less than a dozen games. That’s good.

Schenn is the highest scoring D in the league on the Nucks team - according to Bruce. And not shirking his high hit count either.

THE BAD

OEL is still fighting the puck. But played better than last night. So that’s not so bad.

The Pens were a disappointment. We expected, after 3 days of rest and Roxyation the big boys, would roll over the tired Nucks. Instead they looked flat - other to start the 1st and 3rd.

The Pens looked tired and road weary, not the Nucks.

THE NO LOSER ‘TUDE

Or... just maybe... maybe, maybe, the Nucks are finally out of the mental-loser-trap and can play like a NHL team.

These two wins allow them to re-group and just have a normal life.

Yesterday they looked like a nervous wreck. Those losses get in your head. They couldn’t get anything right.

When you are terrified to lose, you can’t win anymore. — Atty

THE AWESOME VIDEO EVIDENCE

Finally. The 2 Johns get a good game to call.

GAME STATS

	SOG	FO%	PP	PIM	HITS	BLKS	GVA
Penguins PIT	35	49%	1/4	10	22	9	8
Canucks VAN	29	51%	2/4	10	23	19	10

PLAYER STATS (Who Are These Guys?)

ROG IMPRESSORING

Kuz we want to hear from him. Without losing something something Podz in translation.

Let’s hear from our new goalie controversy instigator.

Happy Bruce is happy to share his happy thoughts with us. If we were in the locker room post game.

Hopefully his presser will be posted before we all forget what a happy Bruce presser is like. And it is!

Happy Halloween for NM. No one expected this treat.

Nucks won’t have to suffer the indignity of a no-win October. Nor us.

Even better. It’s a 2 game win streak! In October!

We can save our emergency rum supplies for next month.

Maybe...