THIS IS WHY WE LOVE LIKE ROAD HOCKEY
The Nucks needed a convincing win to recover from the rubout in the ROG. This wasn't it. But it was a win. A nail-biter, but still... a win.
Sharkies aren't last year's bottom feeders. Nope. They've won a few more games and only are last in the league because of a single integer in the points column.
Still... the Nucks didn't splash into the tank with 3 early goals in the 1st. In fact, no goals were scored in the period. Also... Nucks had 11 giveaways in the 1st, so we were happy to have Lanky back in net.
In the 2nd, the Sharlets, not the Nucklets get the opening goal.
Good ol' canucks defensive tire fire...
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Doesn't matter because our own Suter the Shooter ties it up on a wicked shooter's shot from a deft tip pass from Hogz. 1-1 after 2.
And then in the 3rd as both teams realize there's not an infinite time to play for the tie. Guess who gets the tiebreaker and temporary GWG?
Yup, same guy who broke his 10 game goaless streak on this date, last year.
Jake gets his first!!
Westy
It's 2-1 Nucks in the bottom of the 9th 3rd. Can they keep the lead and make it feel good DeBrusk family story?
Of course not. As the Sharkies circle 6-on-5 with a couple minutes to go.
If I told you it was a Granlund who got the tying goal, would you believe it? Ok... what if I told you Myers blew his coverage on Granlund and Lanky was caught short side as the puck whizzed by on the other?
Yup. It's all tied and the gamethread are calculating the loser point feel good status points.
However, those sad calcs weren't required, because... and I'm not making this up. Nucks storm right back down the ice. And score in the last 30 seconds of reg time! No, really. Again, it's Suter the Shooter from a great no look pass from Gnarls in the corner.
Nucks hang on another 30 seconds to win! Overpowering the Sharks by a single powerful goal.
Wooooooooo!
OBSERVATIONS
Nucks PP... now at 0 for 12 in the past few games. 2 shots on goal in 4 mins of odd-man time. However, Nucks PP didn't give up a goal against, so that's something. And the Nucks PK played perfectly perfect keeping the Bobble Sharks at bay.
Not enough rush chances. SJ generated more rush chances... the 32nd team in the league. However, the Nucks had more O-zone time than the last place team.
That felt like a pretty desperate game.
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It felt like a game that could have gone either way. Funny thing about those 1 goal wins. But if not for Lanky stopping a breakaway and other rush chances... well... you know the way out of San Jose could have been sadder.
Pete watch: No goals or apples. Only one egregious failed reverse hit and 1 shot on goal. And was on the ice for the winning goal.
Meanwhile, JT was noticeable for Mifling on the PP. Didn't take over the game as we had hoped. That's ok, because DeBrusk and Suter won the day.
Anything else? Yes!
What a relief.
Video Replay
Shortie and Dave enduring the hardships of SoCal tank life...
GAME STATS
PLAYER POINTS (no so many)
PLAYERS 'N TACO TALK
Sharp-shooting the presser.
DeBrusk happy to have the monkey off his back - and the media on it.
Taco Talks Tough about being a good effort. And still... too many odd man rushes. Gotta even that up.
Nucks get a SoCal road win. Even if it was a little too close for our comfort. At least the Nucks remembered how to forecheck and kept the Sharkies hemmed in on consecutive shifts. And overall, played with intensity and focused for most of the game. Can they carry a consistent engaged effort in their next stop on the Cali tour on Tuesday? Good question.
