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GAME RECAP #67: NUCKS WIN!!! Drop Stars 4-1

Play Harder - Win Better

By jimmi.cynic
/ new
NHL: Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars
The Nucking Stars Align For Us!
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier today, in fact long before dinner, Westy let the Nucks know this was a vital MUST WIN game. He, thoughtfully created a detailed, but simple plan to accomplish the winning must. Unlike many, at NM, we’re a full service fan blog.

Of course the Nucks followed Westy’s simple plan to the letter.

Unfortunately, they might have read it in a mirror. Upside down. Westy’s plans can be tricky to understand without the correct rum decoder ring.

No matter.

The Nucks just went out and played hard. How hard?

Very hard. They’re in Texas, as if that wasn’t hard enough. Personal safety isn’t an issue - not even visiting goalies are required to wear a mask. And anti-social distance rules are ignored by the home team.

Doesn’t matter.

What matters more is the great unmasked Demmers and the Nucks kept the Stars off the board through the the 1st.

And most of the 2nd.

Then the home team scored first.

Stars controlling the pace of the period so far. Canucks having trouble getting any pressure — Westy

That woke up the Nucks. Might have been getting scored on. Or getting commented on. Or Bruce telling Pete to shoot the puck.

And he did. On the PP!

Game is tied in the 2nd. Not much left to do but...

Canucks need to come out in the 3rd and shoot....and shoot...and shoot — Westy

How about Pete coming out and shooting through Pavs and the goalie to get his 200th point? Sounds great.

Just a minute in and the Nucks have the lead in the 3rd.

Can they hang on, no matter what?

Hang on bonkers style? Sure, even if it takes crazy bounces and more.

the first two periods where meh, but this 3rd period is BONKERS — copey2

Dallas got a late PP and the bonkers Nucking PK made bonkers seem mild.

Not only did Dallas up the pressure and miss their chances, they miffled their EN playground. But not Bo.

Up 3-1, but still there’s more. Nucks scrum the boards in the Stars zone. JT plays tipsy rebound doodle.

Nucks win 4-1 in a rink where very few teams have won this season. Against a team they’re chasing. 4 point game win!

Impressive. 1 for 2 on the PP and killed all 3 penalties. 100% Nucking PK? Yes. We’ll take it.

Players Noted

New hire McD played well - broke up a couple 2-on-1s. Seems like a good fit with Hunt who, as ever, was playing his butt off.

However, with Motte being unavailable again for this game - could be he’s scratched for the rest of the season, someone else needs to step up to fill up the speedy checking hustle spot.

Podkolzin may not have scored in this game, but he’s been hustling like mad, making plays, great passes (to hands of stone Chaisson, ack), and taking the puck away from the Stars. If they win, Petey’s two goals do that for them, but tonight I think Podz has come into his own. He’s being played in the last 5 mins of the game, which is great confidence building material. Go Podz! — copey2

Demmers played out of his mind as well as out of his mask. Posted an elitely .972 SV%. Played his best game in recent games. And saved his best stickless saving sequence for bonkers time.

On the road trip through hell, the Nucks have gone 2-0-1. Stashed 5 of 6 points.

STARRING VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

The 2 Johns are on the air and making bonkers hockey fun again.

GAME STATS (Messing with Texass)

SOG FO% PP PIM HITS BLKS GVA
Canucks
VAN
 31 50% 1/2 6 19 10 7
Stars
DAL
 36 50% 0/3 4 18 14 15

SHOT COUNTS (Nucking Shots Count More)

Period VAN DAL
1st 9 14
2nd 13 7
3rd 9 15
Total 31 36

PLAYER STATS (Super Pete and the EN Gang)

# 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 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 18:37 2:09 --:-- 0
7 N. Petan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 8:37 --:-- --:-- 0
8 C. Garland 0 1 1 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 15:29 0:12 --:-- 0
9 J.T. Miller 1 1 2 2 1 6 0 6 0 0 1 0 48 22:16 2:03 2:58 0
13 B. Richardson 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 75 8:48 --:-- 1:13 0
39 A. Chiasson 0 0 0 0 -1 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 50 11:18 --:-- --:-- 0
40 E. Pettersson 2 0 2 2 2 4 0 4 1 1 0 1 18:38 2:09 2:02 1
53 B. Horvat 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 63 19:12 2:09 2:09 0
58 W. Lockwood 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 8:04 --:-- --:-- 0
70 T. Pearson 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 18:05 0:06 2:45 0
91 J. Lammikko 0 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 2 1 1 0 42 13:31 0:06 0:53 0
92 V. Podkolzin 0 0 0 0 -1 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 13:28 --:-- --:-- 0
# Defense GP G A P P +/- S PIM PIM SOG HITS BLKS GVA TKA FO% TOI PP TOI SH TOI PP GW
2 L. Schenn 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 5 0 1 0 19:04 --:-- 1:24 0
23 O. Ekman-Larsson 0 1 1 1 2 3 0 3 1 2 0 0 23:36 0:06 3:34 0
24 T. Dermott 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14:44 --:-- 1:02 0
43 Q. Hughes 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 3 0 0 3 0 23:19 2:09 1:47 0
57 T. Myers 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 2 2 0 0 25:01 0:06 4:13 0
77 B. Hunt 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 12:13 --:-- --:-- 0
# Goalies GP REC GA SV SA S EV PP SH SAVE-SHOTS SV% PIM TOI GAA
35 T. Demko -- 35 36 28–29 6–6 1–1 35–36 .972 0 60:00

TEXAN PRESSERQ

Demko talking about luck - better lucky than good - but he’s both. Really good and lucky.

Bruce told Pete to shoot more in this game - Pete got his chances - and scored.

The Bruce road presser again was Zoom-bombed by audio glitches. But he had praise for the gritty team effort once the effort was required in the late 2nd and into bonkers time.

The Nucks followed most of Westy’s game plan - over-achieved in parts. Scored 3 goals in the 3rd, rather than just 2.

One more MUST WIN game on the trip - Monday in the state of Show-Me MUST WINS. Can’t wait to see how Westy plans out that one.

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