After the tough, stingy game the Nucks played against the Western leaders, or former leaders, after the stingy Nucks stunned the Stars 3-1 - after that we knew the Nucks - the '22-'23 Nucks we loved and dreaded - returned to pond hockey on big ice.
If you had read the Blues recent dance card, which why the hell would you?! But if you had, you'd have noticed they've been playing (and winning) many track meet games.
Track meets are Nucks specialty as well. However, while fun to watch, winning track meets hasn't been the meet up we get to see often enough.
1st period started on the right stick. Huggie's. Gets the 1st goal of the game. And the Nucks only lead of the game.
Because... the road Nucking giveaway section of the program began.
Bessie with a backhander to Saad for another backhander to Vrana for the goal
wino82
More D-zone sloppiness and the Bluuuzies have a 2-1 lead. But... and I'm not making it up... the Nucks PP get the goal back on a great setup from Miller to Kuz.
2-2 after 1.
In the 2nd, the Nucking road fatigue or as they say in French, fatigue, showed up in the worst period of the game. So many little mistakes and legendary PK reverting to record setting form, the Blues are up 3 goals.
Demko not doing Demko things
oh well, back to the lottery race
copey
Lotto race?
Nope. The Nucks PP punish their opponents rather than reward. Bess deflection off a Huggie shot and Nucks only trail by 2 after 2.
Down by 2 goals is our bread & butter position
82wino
Cue the comeback kids.
Nucks score 2 goals, including the game highlight goal. Damn! Spoiler Alert. Tardy Edition.
In the final minute the Nucks - or Huggie - get the goal to push the game into OT.
Having picked up the loser point - the Nucks didn't have much left for OT.
Worse... TikiToki put Myers and Bess on the 2nd Nucking OT shift. What could happen?
Hughes off, Myers on… and look what happens!
Rob Scott
Is that so bad?
successful tank mission, that's what happens
copey
Successful? A strategic win/loss?
Nucks had a chance to solidify 8th spot in the Bedard sweepstakes. With the loser point, it's 9th.
Do we care?
Not really. It's been fun to watch the Nucks try to play better - and they have. Still lots of improvements to be made. With Uncle Gary's finger on the wheel of doom, Bedard will be sent to reinvigorate the worst team in the league - the most morally corrupt team - with the sleaziest owners. Ok, could be any number of franchises.
Anyhow, road trip is over and back to the ROG on Friday to host another struggling franchise.
Final 8 are lining up at the gate.
HIGHLIGHT GOAL OF THE GAME
With so many goals in the game - 6 of the wrong kind - but of the 5 good kind - not including Huggie's pair and the great fakeout from JT to Kuz on the PP, the Pete-Kuz twin impersonation was phenomenal.
Quinn sets another all-time record for Nucks D. 72 points on the season. Pete extends his point streak to 14. And Kuz goes to 37 on the goal clock.
CHEECH 'N JOHN HOCKEY
The best part of this game - other than the other worldly Kuz-2-Pete-2-Kuz Sedinery - was the 2nd installment of Cheech's screeches. The famous jumbotron moment. Hilarious.
GAME STATS (only 5 Nucking GVA?! Or that's the top 5)
| SOG | FO% | PP | PIM | HITS | BLKS | GVA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canucks
VAN
|
37 | 59% | 2/3 | 7 | 15 | 9 | 5 |
Blues
STL
|
31 | 41% | 1/1 | 11 | 24 | 17 | 8 |
SHOT COUNTING
| Period | VAN | STL |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 13 | 17 |
| 2nd | 12 | 8 |
| 3rd | 12 | 5 |
| OT | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 37 | 31 |
PLAYER STATS
FORWARDS - here's an interesting stat - only Pete, Kuz and Josh were on the plus side of plus/minus. 3 Points Bess was still a -1. Interesting.
| # | Forwards | GP | G | A | P | P | +/- | S | PIM | PIM | SOG | HITS | BLKS | GVA | TKA | FO% | TOI | PP TOI | SH TOI | PP | GW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | B. Boeser | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 21:48 | 2:46 | --:-- | 1 | |||
| 8 | C. Garland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 15:10 | 0:11 | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 9 | J.T. Miller | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 58 | 22:12 | 2:44 | 0:22 | 0 | |||
| 15 | S. Dries | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 9:50 | 0:09 | --:-- | 0 | |||
| 18 | J. Studnicka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 9:26 | --:-- | --:-- | 0 | |||
| 34 | P. Di Giuseppe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:22 | --:-- | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 40 | E. Pettersson | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 19:44 | 2:43 | --:-- | 0 | |||
| 72 | A. Beauvillier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:51 | 0:10 | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 81 | D. Joshua | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:01 | --:-- | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 88 | N. Aman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 14:12 | --:-- | 0:22 | 0 | |||
| 91 | V. Kravtsov | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:17 | --:-- | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 96 | A. Kuzmenko | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18:43 | 2:45 | --:-- | 1 |
DEFENSE - new D Ronnie looked tired and was burned in Nucking TireFire fashion.
| # | Defense | GP | G | A | P | P | +/- | S | PIM | PIM | SOG | HITS | BLKS | GVA | TKA | FO% | TOI | PP TOI | SH TOI | PP | GW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | F. Hronek | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23:55 | 0:39 | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 43 | Q. Hughes | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 28:33 | 2:16 | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 44 | K. Burroughs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15:21 | --:-- | --:-- | 0 | ||||
| 55 | G. Brisebois | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:26 | --:-- | 0:22 | 0 | ||||
| 57 | T. Myers | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:55 | --:-- | 0:22 | 0 | ||||
| 74 | E. Bear | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16:01 | 0:12 | --:-- | 0 |
Early Season Demmers - channeling his inner Martin
| # | Goalies | GP | REC | GA | SV | SA | S | EV | PP | SH | SAVE-SHOTS | SV% | PIM | TOI | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | T. Demko | -- | 25 | 31 | 25–30 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 25–31 | .806 | 0 | 58:43 |
ROAD REPRESORING
The All-Star Huggie is pleased with the 3 points, but not game result.
TiKingTocco, Ragging Coachie was thrilled with Huggie's game - but loose lines sink shifts...
8 games to go. Where will the Nucks finish? Who knows?
NM Poll does.
