Lose The Special Teams Battle. Lose The Game. #RefsAlwaysWin!
This was billed as another of those 'BIG' games. A chance for the Nucks to prove themselves against a likely playoff opponent.
We're not ready!
Thanks for reading.
With that out of the way we can discuss in what ways the Nucks aren't ready for 2nd season chippiness and reffing. And the pathetic Nucking PP.
In this season's 'BIG' games the Nucks have lost, there's an interesting correlation. The formerly top 10 Nucks PP have only been 11% effective against, Wegas, Dallasie, Boostoon, CoTU and Winterpeg. Except tonight, the Nucks PP went 0 for 4. Haven't scored PP goals against Stars, Boourns either. Interesting or alarming?
PP slump is streaking at 0 for 19 in the last month. Not a good trend. Trade Pete for DrySalad? Shoot the puck at the net, not at teammate's skates?
And worse, the Nucks PK previously at 86%, dropped to 50%. And that's the game.
Play it again, but just 5-on-5, it's a tie!
However, Gnarly says they gave up two 5-on-5 goals in the 3rd. But only after special failures.
What about the start? It was awesome.
Other than Myers getting called for being too tall when delivering a clean hit, the Nucks controlled the game. Unfortunately, didn't control Clusterbuck.
We got the first attempt on net...winning
'82
It's a 0-0 tie after 1. That's not so bad.
For the road team. For the Nucks their scoring first in the first stat took a hit.
However, to start the 2nd, Nucks get the game's opening goal. With Juuls cleaning up the garbage in the crease. Juul's 1st goal for the Nucks. 1st goal for him since 2018.
Then the refs took over the game. Phantom call on Hoagie results in a Jetter's PP goal that squeaked through Demmers who was not sharp on the shot. Nor were his PK 'assistants'.
Jets 1g for their last 23 PPs
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Worse, the Nucks bench don't hear gamethread's sage warnings.
Need to be careful, the refs are the Jets' best players.
Atty
After a non-call on Lousy's boarding of Aman, PDG steps up to send a statement and gets a fistful of Lousy. And extra sinbin time for his heroics.
Game management Shytefartcrapballs
Chicky
Worse, the Nucks can't beat the game-managed down low 3-on-2 bumper play and it's 2-1 Winterpeggers.
Just when the gamethread and the ROG were about to lose their intestinal waste material, we witnessed the prettiest Nucking goal of the season: Too Tall Division.
Myers picks off an errant pass from his former team, skated majestically around defenders and follows the gamethread urging to score and does.
I was like c'mon Tyler, back-hand, back-hand!!
Atty
And that ends the happy Nucking moments of the game. 2-2 after 2.
Thanks for reading too far.
The reffing was brutal in the first two periods... woulda been fine if they'd put the whistles away, but they called a number of absolutely soft calls on us and missed everything on the other side unless it was so blatant they had to call it. I didn't watch all the third, so can't compare that one.
Twitch
Nucks start the 3rd on the PK, because why not? But this time, the crack Nucking PK finish the task and it's still anyone's 5-on-5 game.
Not really. Because the Nucks are getting too emotional and pushing the play where there was no play to be made. And worse... Juuls is delivering hard checks while losing the puck and positioning. 3-2 Jettersons.
Will spare you the gruesome details. Check the replay or peruse the gamethread for the angsty blaming and outrage.
Juuls and his not-hard-on-the-backcheck forwards were keen to learn from the earlier mistake - by recreating it. 4-2 Jettsons. [insert teeth gnashing noises here]
So far, we are useless in big games.
Atty
Sure, Nucks pulled Demmers and added another player to keep the EN from happening. That was a success. Small victories. Like the Nucking PP not getting a shortie against in 4 attempts.
Still... this season the Nucks haven't had too many games where they had to play from behind - that's just too big an ass to get around this year.
Great Game? Terrible Result?
According to the fancy statilicious calculations, the Nucks outplayed, outhit and out chanced the Jets, 5-on-5. So, that's good. We won the tie. Yay us!
However, the miserably special Nucking teams were especially awful. Both kinds. If the PP could have scored, different game. If the PK could have played lights out, different game.
Probably still lost, but still we would have felt better. And that's the important thing at this critical juncture.
Remember earlier in the season when the Nucks had the #1 PP in the league? Me neither. And neither do the Canucks.
This was a game where hockey's best 3rd line missed Josh. A lot. While Miki was decent, picked up an assist, as did Gnarly, playing big boy hockey is Josh's style.
Super 6
While the Jets top lines were in full playoff beast mode, the Nucks top lines were... ummm... to be found wanting. Millsie's line was pretty good at the start, but soon enough Bess was not skating or hitting or worst of all, scoring. Hasn't scored since he had the hattie in January and reached his 30 goals on the season goal. Mission accomplished for Brock.
And despite the Hogz buzzsaw buzzing or because of it with Hogz taking 2 phantom calls... despite that, Pete had another awful game. No points. His new Swede center had an off night too. The only time the pair sync'd up was when they ran into each other at center ice - opening up the space for the 2nd odd-man rush and goal against. The de-Peted line finished with a plus/minus -1. The worst of all Nucking forwards.
All the Nucks forward lines out-high-danger-chanced the Jets 5-on-5. Except the Pete line, they were out-chanced 3-0. Sign the $7.8M deal now Pete, while you still can.
Sure, Pete is still in the NHL scoring top 10, so his skill is not in question. His will to win in big games? We're watching.
No worries. Because it's still early(ish).
One last thing.
Atty
This is just a rehearsal for the playoffs
This is not the time to peak
This is the time to make all the mistakes.
There is no better time to make mistakes, than now.
ROG REELING HNIC
No Shortie. No Ray. No Bueno. HNIC coverage = Mute button overuse.
GAME STATS
SHOTS
CANUCKS | Period | JETSKIS |
12 | 1st | 7 |
14 | 2nd | 13 |
11 | 3rd | 8 |
37 | TOTAL | 28 |
TACO TALK
Taco had so much to talk about - too much really. From players keeping their heads and keels even to saying what he really wanted to say about the refs...
And that's it for this big game. Another big disappointment. Hopefully not a trend, but something learning something experience.
Doesn't matter.
What matters is the Nucks throw this game in the sinbin after a terrible call and get ready for the next game in Minni on Monday. At least they'll have different officials at freakin' 11AM in the morning at game start.
Wait! They'll have this very same team of officials on the ice, FFS! Never change, NHL, keep beer leaguing it like the idiots you appear to be.