Welcome back to regular season recaps NM! Now with a WIN!!!

Not just a win, but a gritty Taco win. Just how he likes them. Hard 'n gritty. Not stale and soft.

How can it be the Nucks return from the 1st road eastern road trip and be 2 games above 500?

I don't know. Haven't seen that in years. Won't say decades... even if you're I'm thinking it.

We're not the only ones surprised by this delightful turn of the tour. Even NHL.com were nonplussed or non-minused, as they revealed the shocking news: "Canucks (4-2-0), have won two consecutive games."

Two consecutive games! On the road!

I know, I missed the great gator stomp in SoBeach, but have a cold excuse - was in the tar oil sands sipping champagne at a wedding. Who holds a wedding in the far north on a snowy Saturday? My relatives.

Wasn't that bad as I was surrounded by Oil fans. My smug meter was hitting so many hot points, felt like a little 2011 flashback. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Nucks would be in and the Oil would be far, far out.

THE GOOD

Anyways, the Nucks allowed the fewest shots against in a road game - in years. Allowed only 17 shots against - in the entire game. Last season we'd consider 17 against in a period normal. In a horrible type of normal.

Our H-bomb defensive duo were elite. Again. We've not seen a Nucks top D duo perform at this level in a very long time. To be fair, it's been awhile since the Nucks had a top D pairing. Huggie and Hrronnie are the dream D we dreamed of. For years. But who's counting.

Team Effort:

• Miki opened the scoring early in the 1st for his 1st goal of the season since returning last game.
• PDG continued his preseason scoring touch with his 1st of the season.
• Hogz tipped a Huggie shot for his 2nd of the campaign with the GWG.

GAME was over in the 2nd period. Not making it up. Nucks held a one goal lead after 2. And even better, after 3.

The seemingly very much improved PK did not give up a goal in 6 minutes of undermanned time.

Great effort all over the line up. While Pete didn't pick up any points, he was a force at both ends of the ice. Unfortunately, with the game not on the line, he couldn't bury the EN. On 2 attempts.

Millsie was a wrecking ball - credited with... 35 hits! Oh wait... that was 35% in the dot. Never mind, he did keep the gamethread entertained with a very special play.

Miller with his biggest mifler of the season so far there...

Twitch

It was a terrible drop pass in his own end that led to a scoring chance. But not a goal.

Unlike a couple of players...

THE NOT SO GOOD

The 3rd pairing of Chaos 'n Soup were not the only reason that Demmers didn't get and SO, but still...

Myers/Soucy get lit up again

Westy

Not saying Myers and Soucy finished the game with a plus/minus of -2. Not saying that. The gamethread statisticians have already spoken.

STATS

Team Stats
Power Plays	0/1	0/3
Penalty Shots	0/0	0/0
Hits	24	20
Faceoffs Won	22	27
Giveaways	11	10
Takeaways	5	5
Shots Blocked	15	23
Penalty Minutes	6	2

HAPPY ROAD HIGHLIGHTS

John and John Dave have some fun in Music City. That's what they call it. Ask Kent what he calls Country music. Probably better not to.

HOMEWARD BOUND

That was a good first road trip of the year. 2 games above 500, 2nd place in the Pacific. Is it too soon for the Nucks to think they're 'somebody'?

Yes, yes it is. They managed to stop the road L-streak at 2 games. As they say in the hockey media cliche biz, good teams never lose 3 in a row. And this season's Nucks did not. So far.

Are the Nucks a good team yet? They're improved, but there's more than 70 games for them to prove they're a good 'somebody' team.

The TBD good Nucks hockey team are hosting the Blues in the ROG on Friday. Hopefully just the St Lois team, not our usual disappointing 1st home game after a long road trip.

It is only the 2nd home game this season, before the Nucks prep for the playoffs that have been moved up a few months. NM is patient and long suffering, but enough is enough, let's skip the boring grind and move onto Round 1. Want to?