GAME RECAP #80: NUCKS WIN!!!!! SMACK KRAKEN 5-2

Well... There It Is.

Nucks WIN the game. Miss the playoffs for the 7th time in the past 8 years.

There’s your real JB legacy.

Oh well... that’s the last of the JB legacy. We’re moving on.

Under Bruce, Nucks were a 650 team. We didn’t get Bruce soon enough. Even if he promised Franny that the Nucks would make the playoffs.

And might well of, if this was a normal 92-94 points takes you to the dance season.

Oh well... the good news is the Nucks have swept the season series against arch-rival-in-waiting Kraken. Yay!

Some would say the biggest win of the night was winning in the tres cool black skate jerseys. And they would have a very cool point.

Nucks start the game strong against the 2nd worst team in the conference. Vegas, this is how you enter the league - humble and at the bottom.

Also... Vegas could’ve helped our Nucking cause by winning over the Stars. Can’t even get that late season courtesy right.

Anyhow, the Nucks open the scoring on the rush. On a Dries shot over the pads. Great shot.

The ROG keeps rocking with JT’s 31st of the season.

For the first time in over 25 years, the Nucks have 3 players with over 30 goals. And still can’t make the dance. It’s not fair.

Doesn’t matter.

Because the Nucks are squashing the faint game hopes out of the visitors.

OEL on PP#2 puts an all-seeing shot into the net.

If only the Nucks had learned the lesson in the 7 game homestand in March. Get up 3-0 in the 1st. This is how you defeat weaker teams.

Or is it?

Not sure if there was a Nucking weekend saver coupon for the Myers summer cottage, but it was the hottest property on the ice to start the 2nd.

So hot, that Myers had to assert ownership first. But soon he had to share the cottage with Richi.

Marty was spectacular making save after save without his stick during the 5-on-3. However during the remaining 5-on-4 the redlight lit.

No worries.

The Krakies get a 5-on-5 goal in those few minutes when the summer cottage bin was vacated. Probably for spital clean up.

The Nucks took or were given 5 penalties in the 2nd. JT even got some summer rental time. Twice.

Despite giving the Nucking Defending Special team so much game time, the Nucks managed to get a staggering number of shots on net.

2 shots this period...well done Vancouver — Westy

The NHL inflationary counters pumped it up another integer by period end.

Maybe, just maybe Bruce gave the Special Players the no-box-no-more speech during the inter. Or something.

It worked.

No more Nucking penalties in the 3rd. But more Nucking goals.

Schenn goes up the ice, showing his shifty Huggie moves - sets up the play - and finishes it.

The next best thing to seeing Pete score a couple is watching Huggie score from a sweet saucer from Gnarly.

The Kraken played most of the period in Kruise Kontrol. Even at period start down just one, they elected to change, rather than forecheck. Another thing Vegas could learn about being a humble expansion team.

QUINNING RECORD

GETTING GNARLY

Gnarland has been the sparkplug in recent games - 3 points tonight. He is now getting more ice time and playing with better linemates. Probably just a coincidence. Or is it?

COPIOUS THOUGHTS

Heroes: Spencer Martian was sensational for the first 25 minutes of penalty land (we surely have next year’s backup); Huggie breaks the record in style (only so he can break it next year); Gnarland gets a helper hattie to make his self-declared ‘garbage’ year less garbagey; OEL pads the stats with a seeing eye shot; and Schennnner proving again he’s underpaid (though guilty on that 2nd goal).

MIA: Podz (only 12 mins 5x5?) and Petey played maintenance games); where was Dermott?; and Boeser.... Boeser.... where are you? (playing golf mentally in Minntelly)

Zeroes: Refs who award 2 two-minute PPs against... and yet the Nucks save them both thanks to Martin; Vegas giving away one point then two; and the fact that Evander Kane is scoring at a 40+ goal pace (blech).

Please trade Boeser, sign Millsy, extend Bruce, unbreak DemVez, resign Schenn, and fix Högz for next year. Playoffs please, April 2023. — copey

Dermott was sick pre-game - supposedly the Myers flu.

ahh, Giraffe fever — copey

ROGGING VIDEO RECAP

The 2 Johns were the 1 Garret tonight - with the voice of Howie Meeker’s godson covering the play-by-play.

GAME STATS (solid 40 minute effort can win games - in case the November Nucks call)

	SOG	FO%	PP	PIM	HITS	BLKS	GVA
Kraken SEA	32	41%	1/8	6	11	10	6
Canucks VAN	27	59%	1/3	16	16	15	4

SHOT COUNT (ignore Nucking shot dip in 2nd period - math error?)

PLAYER STATS (Huggie setting records. Again)

ROGGING PRESSER

Huggie had a great, honest presser - reflecting on the almost season. However, we don’t get to hear it.

In the interview post-game, that isn’t online - we have to rely on my auditory memory (yikes), Huggie said he was humbled by breaking the Nucking D-point record. A record that has stood 35 years - well into the previous century. However, he said he was more concerned with being the best D in the game. And improving the defensive side of his game was his goal this season. He did. By a lot.

The pentultimate Bruce home presser - savour the pressing. Bruce hates to lose - to miss out on making the playoffs. So do we - but we’ve had 7 seasons of missing - he’s only had 1.

So here we are, with only 2 meaningless games left to play.

We probably couldn’t have imagined, back in the cold dark of late November, there would be less than 10 meaningless games by April.

The Bruced-up Nucks played two-thirds of the season like they were must win playoff games. Pretty much. Except for those horri-cold starts at home in March.

Enjoy the final home game on Thursday.