ACUTAL REGULATION WIN. IN THE ROG! IN THE 1ST PERIOD!
What a game! What a win! Goals! Match Penalties! This one had it all!
After the consecutive, demoralizing losses, especially the last one against LA, we were ready to trade everyone but Quinn. Pregame there was the usual yipping from Friezie about trading JT. However, JT was in the lineup. And had a great game. So did the rest of the Nucks.
Some might claim the verbal thrashing that NM and NucksNation unleashed after last game obviously had the desired effect. And they say the Nucks tune out the noise.
In the preview, Westy used small words with big impact.
What the fuck happened this year?
Westy
Well....there is nothing like kicking a team when they're down. So here come the Oilers tonight.....ready to kick our ass again at home. Jerseys will be flying on the ice quickly.
Turns out they weren't tuning out. They heard the dire prediction from Westy and put the dire on the Oil.
1ST
It's a tight start in the ROG. Nucks outshooting the McOil and don't give up a goal early.
In fact the tie extends into the last half of the period. And then it happens.
Nucks get a power play....
Is it bad that the Canucks getting a power play actually concerns me for the momentum of this game?
Twitch
Yes. No.
LIES!
Thursday
W00T!
Capt'n Huggie scores off Eeekhome's skate. Nucks lead 1-0. Wooo!
It's the GWG in the first 30 seconds of the game! Just like last Saturday. But it's not.
Nucks need a few more.
And do. Less than a minute later, PDG, who was PDQ in this game, speeds into Oiltown, passes back to Myers who puts a shot on net. Heinie deflects, Skinnie stops, Heinie buries the rebound.
WOOOO HEINEN!
Twitch
Nucks lead 2-0. In the 1st. In the ROG! Against the Oiliedrums!
And then Nucks draw another penalty. Apparently controversial...
Hoggy high sticked...eckholm thinks it shouldn't count cuz the wrong ref called it... what a bitch.
Twitch
On the ensuing PP, Capt'n Huggie scores again!
Well, would you look at that! Our very own 3-0 lead in the first period!
Thursday
It's true. 3-0 Nucks. Demmers and the Nucks have shut out the Oil.
The sun comes up after the night is the darkest.
Atty
Impressive 1st period.
2ND
As expected the legendary heroes of HNIC fame push back in the period. And of course, as the HNIC panel predicted, Drai scores.
Ugg...myers blows a tire, oilers score, surrey super fans get back on the myers hatewagon.
Twitch
On the Well-Oiled PP, Soup couldn't clear and Drai scores again. Ugh.
Feh, Draisaitl, what a hack.
Thursday
The good news, Nucks didn't allow another goal against in the period.
Nucks lead 3-2 after 2. No really. One goal lead. It is the safest lead in hockey.
3RD
Despite the HNIC panel pumping up another Big Oil comeback, it was actually time for this season's Nucks to play last season's lockdown period.
And did. Limited the highest scoring team in the div to just 3 shots on Demmers.
In the last few seconds of the period, Oil with the net empty and the frustration filled up, Gnarland ties up McFrustrated. Woulda been a penalty on Gnarly. If the Nucks got puck possession. They didn't. So McCheapshot crosschecks Gnarland in the face. Play is stopped.
If Mcdavid doesn't get a fine or suspension for that, we know the league is fucking amateur.
Atty
Meanwhile Bouchard and Myers are having words. Probably ugly ones. Chaos Giraffe lays the lumber on Bouchard's face. Few noticed. Except the refs.
They had to decide what to do. Turns out both McWhiner and Giraffe received Match Penalties. Everyone else got a minor. Even Pete. And both goalies!
"EVERYONE ELSE ON THE ICE GETS MINORS!"
Thursday
Can't say I remember hearing _that_ call before!
After the official pause in the timeline, play resumed for the remaining 2.3 seconds.
Nucks cling to the lead and WIN! WOOOO!
HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT! A REGULATION WIN!!! I've heard of these before...
Twitch
First regulation win on HNIC since... ummm... the last one, last Saturday... those horrible losses in between dulled that memory.
Great game, what I liked the best was that when the oil had the momentum, they fought back and held strong the middle.
Atty
This is better than if we have beaten the Kings.
Enjoy the W guys! The boys delivered.
OBSERVATIONS
Huggie dominated the game. He is the Nucks best player. Another multi point game from our Captain. 2 goals... 2 PP goals from Huggie. Has 50 points on the season!
Also worth noting in the frenzied Nucks media environ, Millers played great. Got 2 apples and was in McDouche's grill all night. Pete played a great game as well... mainly on the defensive side, but that's an important side to be playing on.
The sky was looking less dark and foreboding over on Bluesky too.
#NHL GameScore Impact Card for Vancouver Canucks on 2025-01-18 #Canucks
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards.com) January 18, 2025 at 9:45 PM
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JT may or may not have played his last Nucks game. But, was focused on being a winning Canuck tonight.
My new and 1st player stat summary is about what may be JT Miller’s last game as a Vancouver #Canucks. 🥺 JT Miller tonight: - 2 Assists - 2 Points - 18/23 FO% - 80% #Canucks #GoCanucksGo #NHL
— Canucks Watcher (@canuckswatcher.bsky.social) January 18, 2025 at 10:06 PM
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Anything else? Yes!
Love the ending.
Atty
Lively!
Thursday
Last few seconds of mayhem.
Video Replay
It's Shortie (thankfully) and Ray 'Motormouth' Ferrari on HNIC.
GAME STATS
SHOTS
| PERIOD | VAN | EDM |
| 1st | 16 | 7 |
| 2nd | 5 | 5 |
| 3rd | 6 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 27 | 15 |
PLAYERS 'N TACO TALK
JT gets his (final?) presser and is on point.
Taco Talks about puck management and getting the lead.
Amazing bounce back game from, allegedly, the same team we were so deeply disappointed in last game in the ROG.
It was a good win over last year's 2nd round nemesis, but a single win is only good for a single game.
Nucks face their toughest challenge next. Play Boofooloo in the ROG. This season's Nucking theme of good game/bad game needs to stop now. They need to play as hard against one of the worst teams in the league as they did against one of the best.
