TEST PASSED. The biggest test so far for the league's highest scoring team. Yes, talking about the Nucks.

The Stars, the highly rated Stars, came into the ROG with 3 wins on their western swing - expecting another western win. Expectations denied.

Unlike the free scoring at will previous game versus the pond Sharks, tonight's game was a chess game on ice. Full contact chess.

The Stars are built traditionally - 3 lines that can score and a 4th line that energizes the top 3 lines.

NM gamethreaders are chess enthusiasts and not worried about tilted chessboard rosters.

Dallas's vs Vancouver 3rd line looks like a severe offensive mismatch. I'm not sure if a grinder third line is going to be effective long term and tonight will be an indicator.

Westy

Yep

Duchene & Seguin & Marchment has to be the best 3rd line in the league. Can't see us stopping that line tonight.
Can we outscore them, though

82wino

Indications are good. And outscore them? 3rd liner Suter scored the GWG. And later, Cole knocked Duchene out of the game.

The 1st period of the chess match tilted towards the Stars. However, this is Tough Taco chess hockey so the period ended with 0-0 tie.

In the 2nd, the amazingly strongest period of the Taco Nucks, the chessboard opened up. The chessboard scoreboard. For the Nucks.

On a broken neutral ice play, the Nucks 3rd line broke into the O-zone, as you may have heard, Suter scores the GWG.

But would the highest scoring team in the league be content winning by a single goal? Not when they can win by 2.

Can you guess who scored the 2nd Nucks goal?

FUTURE HART TROPHY WINNER PETTERSON! !!!!!

Twitch

With some zone time in the Stars end, Nucks setup Ronnie for the one-timer. Dallas are ready for it. But not ready when he looks off Otto and shot passes to Pete.

Ronnie outsmarts the fading stars

82wino

And that's how the game ends. 2-0 Nucks with 5 mins remaining in the 2nd. No, really.

Because of league rules they played another round of zero-goal chess hockey and Demmer's Vezzie demo reel.

Nucks shutout, shutdown and stifle the top-ranked Stars, 2-0.

Insert [Wooo] gif here. If you must. Taco says there's still more work to do.

SPECIAL NOTES

The Stars PK is ranked 2nd in the league - on this trip it boosted it's 90+% rate even higher. Nucks PP went on a 0-for-5 downer. However, the Nucks PK went 100% as Dallas had 0% PP luck on 3 chances. That's only fair.

This was a 5-on-5 match. That, in case you missed it, the Nucks won.

All Other-worldy Demmers is the game's 1st star. His 2nd SO of the season just 11 games in. Unbelievable. Believe it.

MILLER TIME

How was Miller? He didn't have any shots. Or penalties. Or points. He was matched up against Hintz. Who also didn't register any shots. Or points. JT, Brock & PDG played a near perfect Taco defensive game.

ROG ROCKING REEL

It's semi-HNIC in the ROG, but Shortie with the call. And Nucks with the win. Beautiful combo.

STATS

SHOTS

In another 70 games we may look back at this one as completing the 1st chapter in Tough Taco's Textbook game plan executed with nary a typoe.

The Nucks lead the league with a +24 +26 Goal Diff, which if you listen to the hockey analysts down under, is the most important team stat in hockey. That's pretty good. If you listen to the nanny state hockey analysts in the north, they say the Nucks league leading PDO is not sustainable.

Doesn't matter.

What matters at this early, but oh so crucial juncture of the season is that the new Tough Taco Nucks are a team so improved that we Nucking fans have been booking physio sessions to deal with our neck injuries. From looking up so far to the top of the league charts.

Unlike the 8-2-1 Nucks next opponent, this season's 'projected' SC Finalists, McOil are off to a worse start than even last year's Canucks! Not making it up.

If the Nucks continue to drain the Oil with a win on Monday in the ROG, the 31st placed tOilers will likely be looking for a new coach. How times have changed.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!