COULDA BEEN WORSE. COULDA BEEN NO NUCKS GOALS

A tale of two teams... one that rebuilt, got lucky with some crackerjack young players and is going places. And then there's the perennial Nucks retool. That almost seems to give us fans hope. For a season.

If this game was played during peak Green time, wouldn't have blinked. Nucks get behind early and later. And try to comeback from a 3 goal deficit.

Thanks for trying... but 3 goals in a single game is a task beyond this team with Jake 'say the right things' DeBrusk running ice cold. With soon to be low cost FA, Bessie, unwilling to go to the net, unable to manage the puck, and can't score. Petey's line giving up 2 against, doesn't help.

January 27th. The last time the Nucks scored 3 or more goals.

At least after most of us had turned off our TVs, kicked the monitor into the ceiling, the Nucks did come back to score 2 goals in the 3rd. TWO GOALS!

Also... it's not enough. The Nucks are the only team in the league including all those bottom feeder teams we expected to be much better than - this season, Nucks are the only team out of 32 to have never comeback to win when trailing by 2 after 2 periods.

Another great Nucks stat.

1ST

Nucks come out and give up an early goal. Far too early. A minute in. Brock gives up the puck in O-zone and play goes the other way with those young crackerjack Montreal players zipping up the ice past Myers and the puck past Lanky.

Not even mid period and the young crackerjack Habs take advantage of Myers. Again. Mysie punches the puck at the Nucks blueline, and the youngest of young crackerjack Habs turnstiles Mysie and scores an airlifted goal on Lanky.

Despite the Nucks getting more shots on goal, somehow the Nucks manage to make the Habs goalie the next Vezina candidate.

And worse.... Josh appears to score... but there's no video evidence to confirm it, apparently.

Habs lead 2-0 after 1. Oh jeez...

2ND

This was a very forgettable Nucking period. Except we've seen so many of these Nucking periods, we can't forget.

Of course, Nucks got 2 forgettable power plays... how bad? Nucks struggled to get the puck out from behind the net. Their own net. Never mind getting some O-zone time.

And then the worst thing happened. Nucks get the puck up the ice, start a change and of course, the young crackerjack Habs, pass it back up the ice, make Myers look slow and confused and the guy JB passed up for Podkolzin, scores. Caufield's 32nd of the season.

Nucks down 3 goals mid-second in the ROG, is not our happy place.

The stingy Nucks - lowest scoring team in the new year, can't defend against speedy skilled players on the night. Possibly any night.

Habs lead 3-0 after 2.

#Canucks QUESTION: How do we get this game to OT without scoring? There must be a way... invoke the horseshoes precedent?

— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) March 11, 2025 at 8:46 PM

3RD

Nucks come back with some pressure in the 3rd... and I'm not making it up. The Nucks get on scoreboard.

Ronnie fires a wrister from the b-line while Suter is screening... sorta skates into the Habs All-World goalie. Montreal ponders and ponders whether to make a challenge. Take their time out and ponder some more. Decide not to bother with the challenge, since they know it's statistically impossible for the Nucks to score 3 in a single game.

3-1 Habs with over 15 minutes to go.

Then and I'm not making it up... Nucks get a power play goal from a call the refs got wrong. That's how you can tell I'm not making it up.

While the refs missed the repeated trips on Nucks, when Blueger gets hit in the knee with the puck and cringes at the same moment some Hab galoot chops his stick out his hands, that's a penalty.

Little St. Lois is epileptic - and apopleptic - with fury about the call. Especially when Petey snipes a wicked shot top corner blocker side on the ensuing PP. EP40 still has a laser, but takes a few games to recharge it.

Imagine if Nucks had tied it up and won in OT how St. Lois probably would launch himself into the 1st available Nucks player named Garland.

But then, the psycho-physical impossibility of Nucks getting 2 more goals when they've already hit their quota is not worth worrying about.

Or worth laughing at the inevitable EN goal when the Nucks can't figure out how to use 6-on-5 to their advantage. We'll check back in 2028.

Why you'd keep trying to dump the puck in during a 6-on-5 and handing it to the defence is beyond me. #Canucks

— Lachlan Irvine (@lachinthecrease.com) March 11, 2025 at 9:46 PM

Nucks LOSE a MUST WIN game 4-2!

OBSERVATIONS

EP40. Got the almost-tying PP goal with a wicked shot. Won most of his draws. Didn't start driving play until the Nucks were down 3.

Despite getting more ice time, Brock and DeBrusk were ineffective. Each with 2 harmless shots and on the ice for 2 goals against. Brock still playing on the outside looking in - like the Nucks will be in a couple weeks.

DeBrusk, despite the claim, the desire to be better, wasn't. Was slow on pucks, passed to nowhere and rarely got to the front of the net, and when he did, it was only to face Brodeur or Roy.

Guess that's how your earn more ice time from Taco. Talk a good game.

Nucks worked hard, like last game. And like last game don't have the horses to win games this time of year.

Chytil has one point (a goal) in his last 6. New team bounce has gone flat.

The sky is raining clouds of comments... some good...

I've seen the #Habs play here many times and this is only the second time I've seen them win. I'm not even mad. The #Canucks were moving their feet, connecting on passes, and attempting to make plays. If they can keep doing those things it'll come back. It's been a long time since I've seen it.

— Ryan avgtraveller (@viewfromtherog.bsky.social) March 11, 2025 at 9:47 PM

Some not..

Saw on my phone that it was 3-2 and the #canucks were able to get back in the game. So I turned it on and was then thoroughly disappointed.

— Chris Choi (@chrisbc.bsky.social) March 11, 2025 at 9:49 PM

The fan in me wants this team to make the playoffs. But the other fan in me wants this team to keep failing until ownership/management realize what they’ve been doing, ain’t working. But then the fan in me realizes #2 is never gonna happen. - Sad #Canucks fan.

— Phil Figueiredo (@philfigs.bsky.social) March 11, 2025 at 9:50 PM

Some just hurtful..

Empty net goal for Montreal! Scored by Mike Matheson with 00:17 remaining in the 3rd period. Vancouver: 2 Montreal: 4 #MTLvsVAN #Canucks #GoHabsGo

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— NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social) March 11, 2025 at 9:51 PM

Some just so Canucks

I sure hope the #canucks don’t walk into that locker room post game tonight and feel content that they got 1 goal away from sending the game into OT. That was a horrible game where they dug a hole too deep in the first 30.

— Chris Choi (@chrisbc.bsky.social) March 11, 2025 at 10:04 PM

Anything else? Yes!

Decline any involvement in B2B games. Especially tomorrow.

Video Replay

Shorty and Dave calling a hard working Nucks team that can't score. Enough.

GAME STATS

PLAYER POINTS

SHOTS

PLAYERS 'N TACO TALK

Mopey Petey back on the mic.

Lanky says his comfortable with the start tomorrow.

Josh looking good on the looks.

Taco talks about not having an answer to that young crackerjack Habs line.

Another must-needed win lost. Apparently Huggie is taking the bus, or the plane to cowtown tomorrow. If the Nucks want to score more than two goals, will need Huggie even at 80% to score a couple.

Season seedie chase will likely be decided tomorrow night. Nervy. Don't forget your hot toddies tomorrow.