NUCKS WIN - IN THE NOT THAT TOUGH BUILDING - THE ROG!!!

This was an upset of ROGic proportions. NHL's best road team playing in the home of the league's not that good home icers.

JT is back, taking up center ice, facing off ice and we didn't know it yet, but Taco's D-juggling paid off.

The new Nucks 4th line and Soup flipped the ROG script early in the 1st. How is that?

Speedy Sasson zooms into the Cat zone and passes to the trailer. The trailer is Soucy. Who scores! No, really.

It's the Game Winning Goal! No, really. Goalie Bob was as shocked as we were.

Sure... a one goal lead in the 1st doesn't mean much on dreaded home ice. But, what if the Blueger-centered 4th line got another one. That's pretty good.

Nucks lead 2-0 after 1. No, really.

And in the 2nd, despite the Nucks getting outshot by the current Cup champs, Nucks score the only goal of the period.

Friedman delivers a big hit in the Nucks zone, Huggie takes the puck up ice, passes to JT, who drops to Brock who shoots and misses the net. But Brock gets the board bounce and pounds it into the open net as Bob was looking for the puck to bounce off the boards in a different direction.

Meanwhile, Blankinen keeps on blanking the cranky cats, stopping all unlucky 13 shots.

Nucks take a 3-nothing lead into the 3rd. Not making it up.

Nucks get a bit hemmed in their own zone early in the 3rd. For seemingly as many as 5 minutes. And worse, Brock gets a tripping penalty as the refs give the Pants some false hope. The so far perfect Nucking PK was perfect again. No, really. Not the same special team that gave up the cross-seam passes like free ice cream last game.

Finally... half way through the 3rd, refs break with their cat staff support as Huggie draws a tripping call.

7 seconds later, off the JT draw, Nucks score with Jake tipping the Huggie shot. Woooo!

The soon to be former Cup champs - if they have to face Lanky in the finals - can't muster much pushback. And more importantly, any goals.

Panther players were probably getting text messages from their northern Floridian competitors saying how easy and fun it is to win in the ROG. Now they know why no one trusts what's said in Florida.

Nucks and Blankinen shutout the champs. 1st time the Cats have been shutout this season. Woooo!

OBSERVATIONS

What a difference a JT makes. For the first time this season, thanks BC Faeries, the Nucks iced their complete forward roster.

The unprompted 'JT Miller' chants in the ROG were wonderful to hear. Watching JT get 2 points and frustrate Barkov were priceless.

Taco's blend-o-matic D corp worked well. Friedman was getting under the fur of the cats. Forbort's 1st game back got better and better. Soup was miffler-free and making smart plays. Huggie didn't have to play half the game. That was good.

What was astonishing to witness was how well the Nucks controlled the middle ice. They didn't give the Cats much to work with and were making clean breakouts after clean breakouts. Last game we saw it wasn't possible. This game, it was simples.

As ever this season, Lanky showed he's the best value signing ever by JA. Westy says we can't keep him tho. Grinch.

On the Petey side, now that JT was back, he could revert to falling down and being nearly invisible. Had 0 goals, 0 apples, 0 hits and took 0 shots. Be great when he plays like he did when JT wasn't on the roster.

DeBrusk is a tip machine. A blue paint specialist. In the ROG!

Nucks with JT back dominated in the dot. Won 56% of their draws. Welcome back, JT!

Anything else? Yes!

Hard fought road home win made to look easy!

Video Replay

Shortie and Dave watch how different the home team handles the ROG pressure when JT plays.

GAME STATS

PLAYER POINTS

SHOTS

PLAYERS 'N TACO TALK

Max getting points and the presser, obviously.

Kevin Blankinen has more wins over the Cats than even Demmers.

Bess scores in his 500th Nucks game.

Taco Talks Tough how easy wins are when the team plays tough, fast and easy.

Nucks get another rare road home win - but by playing the full 55 minutes! Keep playing that way and maybe ROG wins won't be so rare.

This recently powered-up hockey powerhouse gets another chance on Saturday to break HNIC and pump up the ROG. Two game home streak at play. Let's power forward!