Many goals! Many goal scorers! Many goals that count!
1st home game in the ROG. 1st home game win of the season. Welcome back!
Nucks score 1st in the 1st. Speedy Sherwood and O'Connor perform a takeaway operation at speed. Sherwood opens the scoring. 1-0 Nucks after 1.
In the 2nd, the Cow Thugs go to work as Weaselger boards EP40 and knocks him out of the game. On ice it's called a 5 minute major. Off ice it's reduced to 2 minutes. With Pete down the hall, the suddenly reformed #1 unit goes to work. Work for nothing. Later in the period Pete returns, Phew.
D-Petey took a boarding penalty too. And Nucks PK was perfect. And needed to be as the not yet legendary Nucks PP went 0 for 4. For reasons we can discuss for weeks.
Nucks still leading 1-0 after 2.
In the 3rd, the Nucks special 5-on-5 teams went to work. Chytil starts with a near open net tally. Follows it up with a beauty breakaway deke for his 2nd goal of the game, the year.
Next we get Lekky, scores a wicked laser from a feed from Kane. Then the Nucks go retro fire drill in their own end. No fault of Demmmers as he was screened while the Nucks in front of him were busy not checking anyone.
To put the game away, EP40 breaks into the Flicker zone, makes a drop pass to Brock who launches a Brocket past the #1 goalie of CowTown who finishes the game with a .808% - while the Nucks #1 finished with a .944% as they open the season with a 5-1 win. Wooo!
Well, there we are, then.
Goal from a scorer, two from a suspect 2C, one from a rookie, one from the fourth line. An assist to the eggshells guy, too. Plenty of excellent stops from the hold-your-breath goalie.
No points from the defence after five goals is a shock, but eh! How many times is that going to happen?
COCONUTS GO!
- Thursday
Game/Player Highlights
Demko was the #1 star of the game, kept the Nucks in the game when the Nucks forwards were busy being scrambly in the 1st half of the game.
Surprisingly, with those 5 goals, none came from the backend. Not even a single point. I know, FIVE Nucking goals and not a single point from Quinn.
Special teams... well Nucks PK didn't allow a single goal on 8 minutes of defending. The Nucks PP? Well...
Kane on the 1st unit was reminding us of...
Evander Kane clearly watched a bunch of J.T. Miller power play tape judging from those blind backhand passes. #Canucks
-- Petrishriekandgo on Bluesky
And locally on the game thread...
God get kane off the first unit.
-- Twitch
Weird how hot the 1st unit was in the pre. When Lekky was on it...
NOTABLES
Bains was a beast on the PK, blocking pucks like he loves bruises. 2nd fastest Nuck on the ice and setup Chytil's breakaway goal.
Bains proving his worth on the kill.
-- Thursday
How was the 18 year old. He was solid. Didn't get a point and was part of the unfortunate Nucking fire drill in the 3rd. But who's counting?
3 times the canucks could have got that out of their zone and tried to be too pretty with it. 3 times.
-- Twitch
As the game went on, the Nucks became the better team in both ends of the ice. Good to see in a home opener. A home opening WIN!
And not to brag too much, but Nucks are 2nd in the Pacific. Small sample size, sure, but WOOO!
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Shortie and Dave in the ROG!
GAME STATS
COMMENTING OUT LOUD
Demko loved the PK... even if he was the best PKer.
Pete played well and is engaged.... or more.... he's married!
18 year old rookie, Cootes talking like a 26 year old vet.
Sherwood (btw, on pace for 82 goals) liked getting the ROG rocking.
Footey wins his 1st NHL game as a coach. In his 1st attempt.
1st win of the season in the 1st game. WOOOO!
Enjoy the moment! The next game the 2nd best team in the Pacific play is on the road against the 7th best team. Let's keep it that way.
