FIRST TIME EVER NUCKS BEAT VEGAS IN REGULATION IN THE ROG.
It's about time the Nucks beat the Knighties on home ice in regular time.
Tonight's Nucks team played like the pre-break Nucks team that could take a one goal lead into the 3rd and take a win out the other side. They're back! Block off Davies!
Recap will be short as I have to contact Westy's parade catering company and restock the NM lounge with Gnarly bobbleheads and stuff.
Didn't start that way.
baby steps tonight...no penalties in the first
Westy
Well...we had no penalties in the first 50 seconds, so it was a start...
Twitch
For the eleventeenth time in a row the Nucks take an early penalty. For the eleventeenth time in a row the Nucks get scored on the 1st shot of the PP, of the game.
And for the eleventeenth time in a row the Nucks get scored on the 2nd visitor's shot of the game. 2-0 Vegas. Kinda fugly start.
How's the Special Teams battle going?
Turns out while the Nucking PK was horrid to start, Nucks PP was... awesome.
Pre-game, Miller was handing out Gnarland 400th NHL game T-shirts. Which might have irked Gnarly a little, since the T-shirt thing was his idea for another teammate. Fortunately, Gnarly took out his gnarliness on the PP. Scores a greasy paint goal. His 100th NHL goal. 2-1 Vegas.
A few minutes later on the Nucks 2nd PP, Huggie whips a perfect shot past the screened Thompson. Screened by the 6 foot wide Elias Gnarlandsson. One big guy in front of the net or two tricksie guys?
WOOOO THUGGY! What world is this...2 for 2 in one game????
Twitch
2-2 after 1.
Early in the 2nd, Soucy gets jobbed by the refs. How surprising! Soucy gives Barberchevy a little shin tap and down he goes like a sack of stuffed potatoes.
Vegas scores off the draw as Silovs is slightly screened. Gamethread is slightly peeved.
Sweet Lord...
Westy
3-2 Vegas mid 2nd.
Doesn't matter. Nucks aren't caving. Instead, they return to pressuring the Nighties. And Petey is screening. And Bessie is scoring!
Brock got his 40!
Westy
Even better, Nucks have momentum and Vegas seems to have tiredentum. Nucks are out-working Vegas. Gnarland really is. Blocks a shot, clears the zone, Soucy carries it in. Throws it cross-ice. Josh passes to Miller who puts a puck on Thompson and Gnarly the puts the loose change in the net. His 2nd of the night and 101st NHL goal.
WOOO GNARLY! 100 pt miller!
Twitchy
4-3 Nucks after 2.
It's the safest lead in hockey. It's also the 1st time in the game the Nucks have the lead.
Looks to be an exciting 3rd. And it is. Especially when the Nucks get an early PP and could put the game out of reach. Or... maintain the tension with...
Good lord...clown shoes PP...
Twitch
Nucks withstand the pressure of their own feeble PP, but then Elias Thuggersson takes a nasty interference call behind the Vegas net.
No worries. The Nucks PK killed it. No, really.
Even in the non-even strength last few minutes, the Nucks keep the Knighties in knots, not goals.
Nucks WIN 4-3 in regulation! Wooo! Haven't beaten a playoff team in a month. Now they have, so we know it is still possible.
A step in the right direction, but not polishing any hardware yet.
Rob
Even better, Nucks have secured home ice advantage in the playoffs. Be nice if they can keep 1st in the division, but we're not there yet.
We're just gonna savour this momentous win. Because...
Miller's T-shirt prank may have relieved the tension in the room.
“Within five minutes of him telling me the idea, I was in talking to the equipment guys about getting the T-shirts made,” Miller told Sportsnet after the morning skate. “It was Gar’s idea to do it for someone else and my idea to do it to him. And they turned out perfect.
“He was one of the last to arrive (for the morning skate) and when he walked in the room there were 18 guys wearing Garland shirts. It was perfect. My only regret is we didn’t have one for every single person in the organization.”
“He stole my joke,” Garland said helplessly, then vowed some kind of revenge on Miller, who should reach 800 NHL games on the last night of the regular season. “There’s going to be balloons everywhere or something.”
Garland admitted after the game that a prank like Miller’s was just what the Canucks needed.
“I wish it wasn't me on it,” he said of the T-shirts. “But, you know, that's what Millsy does so well for us. It's nice to come in and everybody has a laugh in the morning. It's a big game for us tonight and (you) relieve some stress. I know one guy wore it to the game. That was uncalled for. But it's nice. It is, it is. It's a long year and when you're in a bit of a (difficult) stretch, you can use something like that. That's what makes Millsy Millsy.”
ROGGING REAL TONIGHT!
Shortie and Dave are happy to be back in the ROG calling a season-saving, parade planning win!
GAME STATS
SHOTS
| NIGHTS | Period | CANUCKS |
| 6 | 1st | 10 |
| 9 | 2nd | 11 |
| 8 | 3rd | 9 |
| 23 | TOTAL | 30 |
PLAYER POINTS
| GOALS | ASSISTS | +/- | |
| GNARLAND | 2 | +1 | |
| BOESER | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| PETTERSSON | 1 | +1 | |
| MILLER | 3 | +1 | |
| JOSHUA | 1 | +1 | |
| HUGHES | 1 | 1 | +1 |
| MYERS | 1 | 0 | |
| Saves | Shots | SV% | |
| SILOVS | 20 | 23 | .870 |
TACO TALK
"He was buzzing... lotta shots, couple goals... he's a greasy guy... not his hair, his hair is not greasy" - Coach Taco on Gnarland.
Watch a more relaxed Taco at NHL.COM
1 Win down. 20 to go. But, let's not get too far ahead of the parade planners just yet.
Next must win game is on Wednesday when the desert dogs are visiting the wet, wet coast. Wet desert dogs whimpering in a loss isn't the worst outcome.
10 Days away from the end of this unexpectedly great Nucking season. Have you enjoyed this season of surprises? Let's find out.
