HOW SWEEP IT IS! Nucks sweep the west with 3 wins on the road. Woooo!

Playing ice hockey in Vegas is weird enough. Playing against the defending Cup champs in Vegas with the loud and tacky glitteria filling the 1000 ft dazzle screens is not something to be dazzled by.

And the Nucks weren't dazzled. Or intimated. They kept to their Tough Taco staples and hockey gruel for another great grindy win.

1ST PERIOD

Nucks get an early 4 minute PP. That's good, right?

We got the early jump in this game

'82wino

Not anymore...going to the PP

Twitch

Except... Nightlies get into a bruhaha and another of their bruhs is taken off the ice. Nucks get 14 vital seconds of 5-on-3. Just as the seconds expired, Pete sets up Huggie for the 1st goal of the game - his 1st in 17 games. Has it really been that long? Ask Miki.

Nucks lead 1-0 and the collective tinsel of the tacky castle is sagging. No, really. Night Nighties still haven't put a shot on Demko, over 6 minutes in.

And even better, less than a minute later, Hoagie draws a call with a toe drag move out front. The puck slides over to PDG who has an open Pete and Hill has to be ready for Pete. But he's not ready for...

Pretty much i just wanted a reason to say "PDG PPG"

Twitch

PDG puts the puck past hill and the PP doesn't happen. A PDG goal on a PP adjacent play is just as good. Even better, it's the GWG.

Nucks lead 2-0 after 1. Outshooting the tired and freshly LTIR'd cap spacers 16-7.

2ND PERIOD

Game is playing from the Taco textbook playbook. Nucks are keeping the golden helemets at bay. Until... Cole has an oopsie... a dropsie of his stick. Can't block the shot with his face or threatening facial expression. Demmers is screened and the point shot gets past him.

Boo... way to go cole.

Twitch

Doesn't matter. Cole won't make that mistake again. He can figure out other stuff. 2-1 Nucks for 10 minutes.

Then we witness why PA made the Lindy deal. He's really good with the detail thing. And very good hands. At speed. Loss Vegas bumble a clear. Lindy swoops in to settle the bobbling puck right on the blueline - settles it - puts a shot on the Hill pads and Gnarly pops the rebound into the net and the Nucks have all the goals they'll ever need to win a tough, grindy game.

indy created this goal

Let's hope now the Guentzel has been traded....half the Nucks can release their sphincters

'82wino

3RD PERIOD

The Nucks continue playing stingy frustrating hockey. Nightlights can barely get the puck through center ice. Even when they do, kept mainly to the outside. When they get to the front there's 1st Star, Demmers making a 5-alarm save on Eikie look routine.

In the final few minutes, with the Las-thargic crowd thinning out to go play slots for more losing entertainment, it's EN goal vs Icing tournament. Icing won.

And so did the Canucks, 3-1 over the Fading Golden Doves. Woooooooo!

CLEAN SWEET ROAD TRIP!

Interesting stat this year. We didn't win too many "big" games, but won almost all medium and small games. That's enough to be on top in the regular season.

And Demko got his mojo back!

And the best news: Slump officially over.
Two games are not enough, but 3 games on the road? That's when we crossed the line back into winning territory.

Atty

OBSERVATIONS

Nucks played a near perfect stinge game. Allowed few high danger chances, 2 in the 1st, 1 in the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd - EN bias. Low event Tough Taco hockey may not be the funnest style of game to watch, but winning more games down the stretch Taco Tough style is better.

Shoutout to, still goal-drought sniffing, Miki! He looked much more engaged this game - skated faster harder, setup Bess with some good attempts. Maybe he's just saving his scoring mojo for the 2nd season. Started the 1st season with 10 goals out of the gate.

Hoagie was a feisty disruptor on the ice, so happy PA didn't trade him for a broken Guenz. Or Podz either, who played a fast, hard, confident game.

And re-signed Pete seems reinvigorated and has replaced last month's invisible Pete. That's good. Really, really good.

And the trade with BC Ferries for Soucy is the best one yet.

At last we don't need to worry about losing Hoggi or Gnarly for Guentzel.
And I can see on their game, both are skating well.

But Soucy, man he is a God-sent. Our best D-man, Quinn not withstanding.

Atty

Keep playing Tough Taco hockey and we dinna need no more stinking trades. Maybe.

GLITTERING HIGHLIGHTS

Shortie and Dave are dressed up for the glam shots. And the win.

GAME STATS

SHOTS

PLAYER POINTS

TACO TALK

Taco seems pretty pleased with his stingy, grindy, grindy players. So are we.

THE BOYZ ARE BACK IN WINNING FORM!

Heading home for a 9 game homestand. Where they can put their Taco Tough hockey on the extended W-streak column.

But... there's an elephant circling the rumour mill for a few hours longer... will JR/PA breakup the rediscovered team chemistry to add another winger? Let's find out.