HILAROUS GAME - HILAROUSLY BAD. NUCKS TRAGICOMEDY HOUR.
This was predicted to be the least winnable game of the trip. Prediction fulfilled. Over filled, thanks.
Tonight's (today's?) game is the 1st time this season the Nucks played with a full roster, less Josh. In one twisted sense, it's the 1st game of the season, not the 43rd and can't expect the new roster to gel in a single game.
In another sense, this full roster still has huge gaps. Giant gaps in D. Big gapping gaps in offense. Life-sucking gaps in motivation.
The pattern this season is familiar. Play one great game. Followed by a stinker. When was the last time they strung together a 2 or 3 game win streak?
Have to go back in time... early November where they won all 3 games in SoCal. Also... Nucks have only had single game win streaks since then. Not much of a streak.
You know how the Nucks elevated their game in the CoTU to win. This game wasn't like that. At all.
1ST
Nucks don't give up the 1st goal in the 1st in the 1st few minutes. So that was good.
However, many bad things happen in less than 10 minutes.
Ugh... even worse giveaway by lankinen than the earlier miffler... 1-0 jerks.
Twitch
Lanky's miffling and Connor's goal was deflating... but there's still some little gasps of air left...
ffs...2-0... soupy standing around looking for...soup?
Twitch
And then a few minutes later...
Oh come on... 3-0... 7 minute hat trick for connor...
Twitch
3-0 Jets after 1. One horrible period. Only for us idjit Nucks fans. Lotsa fun for Peg fans tho.
However, at least there's some equity, some great teamwork in the worst sense.
Awesome box score, all the defenseman are minus 1 and most of the forwards are minus 1. no minus 2 or 3.. Tocchet is doing an excellent job of spreading the fecklessness.
Ripper
2ND
The 2nd period couldn't be worse than the 1st. And it wasn't. Jets only scored 2 unanswered goals. So that's good.
Except for the bad goal against, early.
Holy shit... weak goal. Might be time to end the lanky b2b experiment...
Twitch
No worries. A weak goal every period? No problem. If this was last year's Nucks.
This team isn't that. Nucks are crushed, down 4-zip a minute into the 2nd. They know they ain't coming back against the best team in the conference and best goalie in the league. Nucks already putting their minds and their comebackness on the plane to comeback home.
But before they can go pack up their gear and count their millions for playing like AHLers, Jets strike again. With a cruel bounce that bounces off the back of Lanky into the net.
5-zip Jets after 2. Ouch!
Trash game, I knew it's coming, but didn't expect it so soon after the win.
Atty
Need to forget and move on.
Oh, wait, there is one more period, ffs.
Maybe our expectations of this year's scrambling to 500 Nucks need to be lower.
3RD
Because the the best scoring Nucks scoring chances happen on their PK, Myers unselfishly or at least Chaos Giraffely takes a tripping call.
Also... because, Nucking life isn't fair, Jets score on the PP. 6-0 Jets!
Game thread is optimistic, however.
4 more goals to reach 10.
Atty
Just to make sure that the Vancouver media has something to talk about tomorrow.
And then the hockey gawds of unerring doubt and droughts, end it. Hoagie scores! Scores with a wicked laser top shelf - on the best goalie in the NHL!
Not going to be another SO loss. Yay!
Nucks only lose 6-1 in front of the over-joyed Winterpeg crowd. That's not the most embarassing loss of the season. The loss to Jersey 6-0 was worse, right?
The thing is that I'm not even upset, even the slightest.
Atty
The score reflects exactly the way they are playing. So, if this is the way they want to play, why would I bother being upset?
OBSERVATIONS
Here's the PROBLEM: Hockey is a game of mistakes. Nucks made so many costly mistakes this game.
Here's the OTHER PROBLEM: Nucks can't out-score their mistakes.
There's the 3rd PROBLEM. Now that we have a nearly full roster, we have a nearly full team of mistake-prone, confidence lacking players. The players have lost confidence in themselves to play at a high level consistently. Coaches have lost confidence in the players to play at a high level, consistently. Some players more than others. JR/PA may have lost confidence in the roster and coaches.
We fans are losing confidence in all of them. So... normal Canucks fan life resumes. Last season was the outlier. Dammit.
To be fair, this game was already pencilled... er... inked in as a guaranteed loss. As was the CoTU game, but Nucks tore up the paperwork on that one.
This game showed up the weaknesses we've seen all season. Trouble with speedy teams, especially big bruiser speedy teams. Nucks gave up 3 breakaways. Gave up 5 high danger chances. In the 1st period! Jets are a fast team. Nucks are not. Oh... in case you missed it, Nucks gave up 3 goals in the 1st. In just 7 minutes!
Some might have been wondering why Taco didn't pull Lanky after the 4th goal. Wonder no more. Nucks management are hoping to extend him. Getting pummeled after that show-offy SO in CoTU might just lower his asking price.
Are we being too critical in the results-oriented NHL? Let's check with the BlueSkiers.
Where should we begin? 🥴 - #GoJetsGo generated so much traffic in front of the net that is hard to describe. 10+ high danger chances. - xG/60: Below average but made up w/ shot quality and quantity - #Canucks stayed most at the perimeter with 1-2 high danger chances Terrible.
— Canucks Watcher (@canuckswatcher.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 8:06 PM
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I’m officially not sold on Tocchet’s system. They start every game with hardly any shots. They play far too conservatively and every player doesn’t just lose their scoring touch overnight. GM gave him a far worse team but still…this hoping for a 1-0 win BS needs to stop. #Canucks
— fuzzysnack (@fuzzysnack.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 7:38 PM
That's ugly! Mama said there'll be days like this There'll be days like this, mama said (Mama said, mama said) #Canucks
— Ryan avgtraveller (@viewfromtherog.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 10:19 PM
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Shout out to Hoagie! Only Nucks player not boasting a minus in the +/- stat. Also the only Nucks player with a goal and a point. Since the drought is over, Hoagie can score 23 goals over the the next 2 weeks. Because... we know for sure JT and Pete won't.
Anything else? Yes!
Home Sweet Home. Finally. The 1 win in 5 road trip is over.
Video Replay
Shortie didn't get to call the game in the CoTU, instead gets this stinker.
GAME STATS
SHOTS
PERIOD | VAN | WPG |
1st | 6 | 8 |
2nd | 10 | 20 |
3rd | 8 | 5 |
TOTAL | 24 | 33 |
PLAYERS 'N TACO TALK
Capt'n Huggie talking about no one playing well. And ready to send another death stare at the next stupid question.
Gnarland talks about giving a tough team a tough lead.
Taco can't talk too tough about his players. Only how hard it is play a consistently good game. Unlike last year.
However... some took exception about the 1st...
Did we really hear Tocchet saying post game: “I didn’t mind our 1st period”? Kyle Connor scored a natural Hat Trick in the 1st period. Coach were you watching the same game as we were? 🥴 Good Lord #Canucks #GoCanucksGo #NHLJets
— Canucks Watcher (@canuckswatcher.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 8:34 PM
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It's over. This horrible road trip completes with a 1-2-2 record. That's not so bad. Unless... one's team is fighting for the final wildcard spot.
We can only hope that once the Nucks get home and recharge they will have enough left in their deflated motivation tank to take a win off LA in the hardest-to-win building in the league. The ROG.