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GAME RECAP #70: NUCKS WIN! A Point and OT Loss

ROG might be home, but not a happy one

By jimmi.cynic
/ new
Vegas Golden Knights v Vancouver Canucks
Dado is still a Knightie? Oh right...
Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images

How many times have we seen the opening minutes of Nucking home games seem like an extended horror trailer?

This is game 70, so it must be less than that.

Barely.

Nucks gave up 9 shots on goal in the 1st 7 minutes of the 1st. Versus their 1 shot on Leadener.

On the Golden Knighties 10th shot, they scored.

The Nucks responded immediately.

In the 3rd period.

Why respond to a single goal deficit in the 1st when you can respond to a 2 goal deficit in the 3rd? Why rush into the lead and miss the glory travesty of OT? Why start the game poorly, get behind and almost comeback?

These questions are hockey koans. Westy might give us some insight later this month. He’s taking next week off to finish his Nucking mystery novella: Zen and the Art of Hockey Maintenance Days.

There’s only so many ways to explain the unexplainable. Or maybe there’s no explaining. Only witnessing what every Nucking players has vowed would never happen again.

Until the next time.

You want to know how the 2nd goal against was scored barely half way through the hour long 1st? Me neither.

Poolman-Dermott giveaway-screen-the-goalie trainwreck — copey

To be fair, it was Poolman who setup the play at center ice with a throwaway, or as we call them in the ROG, a hot steaming turnover-giveaway.

Whatever.

Poolman didn’t return for the 2nd period. A coincidence or a reoccurrence of the old injury? You decide.

The Nucks played better, more desperate hockey in the 2nd. But still... the game thread is concerned.

i don’t think they’re going to score again — copey

The Good Stuff:

Can’t be an almost comeback tale of glory disappointment without some lead erosion or better.

OEL puts a blocked shot on net, puts the rebound on Miller’s stick and Nucks are goalless no more.

Nucks are looking fresh - buzzing, pressing, taking it to the Knighties. Which makes sense, since for the Nucks this game only started 25 minutes ago.

You want to see the Nucking PP work their magic? Score the tieing goal? Using Bo’s powers of faceoff sorcery and mind control to force the Sullen Nights to score on their own goalie? Yeah... we’d like to see that.

Lose a faceoff, get a goal. All part of Nucks slow starting, get behind strategy.

Myers tried to beat the clock and goalie in the last second of the reg.

Damn...so close meyers...too high — Twitchy

If this game was a battle of special teams, the Nucks win. Killed all 3 penalties and got a goal on their oh-so-intimidating power play.

But it wasn’t a battle of special teams, instead it was a battle of last shot wins.

Bad Stuff:

If you haven’t heard already, not going to tell you about Pete and Bo being on the wrong side of the puck at the wrong moment.

In the last few weeks, Nucks are 0 for 4 in OT. That’s a very consistent pattern, which matches the consistent pattern used to start home games. We asked the Nucks to play consistent hockey. Careful what you ask for.

ROG HIGHLIGHTS

The 2 Johns describe what we knew already. Home afternoon games start too soon. And end too early.

GAME STATS (OT is not our friend - or Bo’s)

SOG FO% PP PIM HITS BLKS GVA
Golden Knights
VGK
 30 44% 0/3 6 9 19 7
Canucks
VAN
 28 56% 1/3 6 28 12 7

SHOTS (close... all but the last one)

Period VGK VAN
1st 13 7
2nd 6 9
3rd 7 10
OT 4 2
Total 30 28

PLAYER STATS (look for the good, not in the pool, man)

# 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 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 1 17:24 3:06 0:09 0
7 N. Petan 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 100 11:05 1:00 --:-- 0
8 C. Garland 0 0 0 0 -1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 16:51 0:52 --:-- 0
9 J.T. Miller 1 0 1 1 0 5 0 5 2 1 2 1 50 21:46 3:18 3:00 0
18 J. Dickinson 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 12:43 --:-- 2:03 0
39 A. Chiasson 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 50 14:20 0:42 --:-- 0
40 E. Pettersson 0 0 0 0 -2 3 4 3 2 0 0 0 20 19:55 3:00 0:25 0
53 B. Horvat 1 0 1 1 -2 6 0 6 2 0 0 1 64 22:08 3:06 2:18 1
58 W. Lockwood 0 0 0 0 -1 1 0 1 5 1 0 0 6:57 --:-- --:-- 0
70 T. Pearson 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 3 3 1 0 100 16:36 0:42 2:14 0
91 J. Lammikko 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 7:06 --:-- 1:48 0
92 V. Podkolzin 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 14:50 --:-- --:-- 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 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 5 2 1 0 21:06 --:-- 3:23 0
5 T. Poolman 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 4:25 --:-- 0:21 0
23 O. Ekman-Larsson 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 24:31 1:02 1:47 0
24 T. Dermott 0 0 0 0 -1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 19:10 --:-- 1:19 0
43 Q. Hughes 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 28:28 2:58 3:12 0
57 T. Myers 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 20:54 0:14 2:01 0
# Goalies GP REC GA SV SA S EV PP SH SAVE-SHOTS SV% PIM TOI GAA
35 T. Demko -- 27 30 23–26 3–3 1–1 27–30 .900 0 62:05

ROGGRESSING DOWN

The broken record loops around Bo and JT. Again.

Bruce ponders the inscrutable phenomena that make hockey koans lie awake at night with one hand open.

Bad start. Get back into it. Stub their skates at the end.

Nucks work hard - especially after going down a couple goals. Just need to work harder a little earlier. Maybe even at their earliest convenience or if need be, inconvenience right at the drop of the 1st puck in the 1st.

Still need to work on playing more disciplined - playing on the right side of the puck. Why bother pushing like pucking maniacs to get the tie and then play like the game is won when it’s just about to be lost?

Don’t know.

But, it’s not puck luck when you’re caught on the wrong side of the puck and chasing a 3 on 1 the wrong way.

Whatever.

Doesn’t matter anymore. The BruceBump most likely isn’t coming back. We’re not even sure if Bruce is.

The fate of this Nucking team is no longer their own. Possibly in the capricious hands of stretch luck, if that.

More accurately, in the hands and coolly calculating minds of JR’s dream team of Hockey Ops experts. Expert decisions will be made. Hopefully.

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