MUST WIN GAME ALMOST BUT NOT QUITE WON.
Nucks proved last game they can beat good teams. Tonight, they proved they can still almost beat bad teams. Playoff ready or what.
That hard won one point may be crucial to decide who gets to hoist the Pacific division banner. Or is it a flag? Handkerchief? Whatever.
The Nucks outplayed, out-pressured, outshot, out-most-everything against the dirty desert dogs. Everything but win.
Is it time to panic?
No, that train ran scared out of the station without taking on many passengers in mid-February.
Good news! Lindy is back and winning draws and making smart plays. Not scoring those smart goals just yet.
1ST PERIOD
As expected not much happened. Altho... this was unexpected...
Well thats different... WE get the early power play for once...
Twitch
As expected, Nucks didn't score on any of their 2 power plays... because what would be the point?
I think is a game that if the Nucks can break through soon, they will score a bunch
Westy
The yotes have not looked super dangerous have they.
Twitch
Super dangerous comes later.
Nucks outshoot the Yotes 8-2 and it's 0-0 after 1.
2ND PERIOD
Here we are - it's later and the Nucks are owning the Yotes, in shots, forecheck pressure and stuff. Hoagie is a putting on a possession show...
Damn I love watching hoagie play power forward... I'm sometimes surprised he doesnt have like 35 goals.
Twitch
Does everything. But score.
And then, as Clarke's pre-cog sessions with Sealovs exhibit another setback, Yotes with a rare FO win score through a 2 player screen. SealedOff is still looking for the puck. 1-0 Yotes.
Undaunted, Nucks keep the heat, the pressure, the o-zone time on the desert dogs.
Huggie passes to Myers. Myers puts a shot on net. Hits Millsie in the skate. Millsie buries the skatebound. 1-1 tie with 2 minutes to go.
And then... with a minute to go... the Yotes on the scorecard again. Clarke's pre-cog sessions exhibit yet another setback, Yotes score through a 4 player screen. SealedOff is still looking for the puck. 2-1 Yotes after 2. Ouch!
3RD PERIOD
You'd think the Nucks would come out hard in the 3rd and get the early tieing goal. And they did, so hard for so long, that Huggie coughs up the puck behind the net and it's 3-1 Yotes. Ugh. Huggie felt bad. Tired and bad.
To help help Huggie feel better about his rare gaffe and get lots of rest, his teammates unselfishly took 3 consecutive penalties. The last 2, a scintillating D-duo of Zav and Myers. Unexpectedly, the Nucks best scoring chances came short-handed. And happily the Nucks killed off all the penalties.
Which gave Huggie the rest time and conviction to stage the comeback. Huggie passes to Hoagie who passes out front to Gnarland who pops the puck up top. Tie game! Almost. Or would have been.
Amazingly, Nucks get a late 3rd power play. Even more amazing, Nucks PP scores! Even better, Pete who had no shots until 16:18 of the 3rd fired a laser past Ingram, the whisky goalie. At least I think he's the whisky goalie. Need to have Westy check the label again.
It's a 3-3 tie and everyone gets a point!
OT
This is it... Shortie is talking about all the Nucks who have multiple OT goals, and he's seen many games and should know - Nucks will win it from Huggie, Millsie, Petey or maybe Miki?
Turns out, Bess is secretly working for the desert people... perhaps his love of Mullets or something. He takes a tripping penalty. Nucks have to face a 4-on-3 PP in OT. Or do they?
Ronnie breaks up a play at the blueline and makes a beeline for the Yoting net. He gets hauled down. It's a penalty shot! In OT! On the PK! No pressure. Or not enough. His weak fake slapper fools no one, especially the whisky-making goalie, who easily saves Ronnie's weak deke and slowhand shot.
Yotes return to their 4-on-3 PP and score moments later. Yotes win 4-3 in a game they probably shouldn't have. That's hockey!
Well, one point it is.
Atty
It was a good finish though.
ROG BORING LIGHTS
Shortie and what's-his-name are in the ROG to cover this exciting (not) game.
GAME STATS
SHOTS
Nucks had 14 high-danger shots, Yotes, 5. Nucks out attempted Yotes, 59-29. Just needed to bury more chances.
| YOTES | Period | CANUCKS |
| 2 | 1st | 8 |
| 9 | 2nd | 4 |
| 4 | 3rd | 11 |
| 3 | OT | 3 |
| 18 | TOTAL | 26 |
TACO TALK
“We made a push at the end…Too many missed shots. I didn’t think we went to the net first two periods. Third period we had urgency.” - Coach Taco urging travelling to the net.
Watch Taco talk tough at NHL.COM.
Nucks played pretty good in the 1st, sorta decent in the 2nd, but let AZ take over the game late in the 2nd and into the 3rd. Three periods. Three games left. Each with three periods. Is asking the Nucks to play nine consistent periods asking too much? Don't know. Do you?
