FUN FACT: NUCKS HAVE WON 7 STRAIGHT GAMES following a loss (regular & playoffs)

What a game! A grindy grindy game. Taco's fav type of game.

This game had everything. Dueling Power Plays! Dueling Goalies! One goalie much, much better at dueling than the other. One team much, much grittier than the other.

However, the McPowerPlay opened the scoring, despite McD not getting any points on the goal.

Fuck. Have we killed a full powerplay yet this series?

Twtich

Apparently we have, but it just doesn't feel like it. Also... doesn't matter.

Because... and I'm not making it up, the comeback Nucks come back early. And often. On the PP! Not making it up.

Nucks 1st unit looks as good as the league's best unit. Miller and Huggie fed Brock. And...

WOOOO HUGGY! BOESER

Twitch

It's a 1-1 tie. And it gets better!

The Miller line was playing like they owned the joint. A wonderful sweep around the boards and around again to Brock in the slot.

BOESSSSSSS!!!!

Twitch

2 Brock goals and a 2-1 lead in the biggest hockey mall in the world.

Five minutes later the Miller line is buzzing in the O-zone... Oil cough up the puck to Suter, who passes to Brock and..

BOESER FIRST PERIOD HATTIE!!!! Holy fuck!

Twitch

Nucks lead 3-1 after 1. Turns out, after some examination, Lindy tipped Brock's shot on the PP and therefore is credited with the 2/3 hattie. Barely enough hat to cover the flow.

In the 2nd, the Nucks contrary to the wise counsel of NM and possibly the Nucks coaching staff, Nucks take a dumb penalty. Courtesy of Ronnie's extra firm hug.

As ever or at least 50% of the time DriedSaddling scores on the McPP. 3-1 Nucks.

Typical. However, untypically, the Nucks go on their 2nd PP of their period. Their 1st one was to entertain small children who giggle at clownshoes hockey.

But on the 2nd one, the Nucks 1st unit connects again. With another PP goal from Lindy. Using the rarely seen puck under skate, to stick, into the net play.

WOOOO LINDHOLM WITH 2 NOw!

Twitch

Hilarious moment as Perry thinks he's scored. However, as the puck is about to cross the goal line, Artie smothers it with his glove. No goal call on the ice. After much haranguing at CoTU Game Management, the call on the ice stands.

But still, the gamethread isn't impressed, even with the 4-on-4 play.

Getting tired of the tire fire in our own end for the second period...

Twitch

4-2 Nucks after 2.

In the 3rd, the Nucks know, we know and of course, Homer Simpson knows the McOil are going to pushback. With a new goalie in their net, as the old one allowed 4 goals on 14 shots. McD plays over 11 minutes and doesn't get a point.

Nucks are practicing their... ummm... resiliency. Despite getting outshot 22-3 in the final 20... Holy KaShmolies! That's a very big differential. No goals for the tOil at even strength.

Or on their vaunted PP. Early in Zav takes a dumb one.

That whole taking dumb penalty thing seems to have fallen upon deaf ears

Westy

Nucks PK makes the kill!

Holy crap we killed one!

Twitch

Fuck off, call the canucks for breathing heavy, let the oilers get away with multiple muggings

Twitch

However, Cole takes a dumb penalty mid-period. Which doesn't bother the gamethread.

Fucking Ian Cole takes a penalty

Westy

And again, no McScary goal.

Woo! Killed two in a row! Whoda thunk it.

Twitch

However, in the final few minutes, Oil pull Pickhard... and the Oil score 6-on-5 and because he hasn't had much gamethread chatter, pucks goes off him past Artie.

Off Ian Fucking Cole again!

Twitch

tOilers then pull Pickhard to put Skinnerd back in, only to pull him. So confusing.

Doesn't matter. Nucks play desperate shot blockers. Artie plays cool puck stopper.

Despite the Nucks getting waaaaaaaay outshot and spending an hour of the 20 minute period in their own zone, they kept most the 500 shot attempts to the outside.

And more importantly, Nucks win 4-3 in tOil Country! Wooooo!

OBSERVATIONS

In last 3 mins, high danger shots were 1-1. So, that's pretty good.

Cole needs to check the team name on his contract. Maybe he could read the fine print in the pressbox in the next game. Or read the tea leaves and stop betting on red. Or black. Or hire a luck whisperer. Or something.

FUN FACTS:

Nucks are now 4 and oh on the road in the playoffs.

Nucks have played 7 consecutive games decided by a single goal.

Nucks have 167 shots in 8 playoff games. 2nd fewest in playoff history.

Nucks are 11-6 in playoff games when leading a series 2-1.

Bess and Lindy are the first pair of Nucks to score 2 goals in a playoff game since 2010.

McD scored 0 points in the game, for the 1st time in this year's playoffs.

Myers did NOT take a penalty! Had 7 hits, got an assist and blocked a hundred shots.

EP had no shots, no points and wasn't strong on defensive coverage - hence the 15:49 TOI - with 4 higher dangers against.

DrieYouEyesSaddle whined after the game about hitting the post - claiming that's not good goaltending. Hitting the post is also not considered good shooting - doesn't even count as a shot. In the game tOil had 4 poor shots on the post.

Funny he didn't mention Artie stopping him cold on a breakaway.

While we know the tOilers are a one line team, they refuse to admit it... but even HNIC sees what we see.

After listening to oilers fans for the past two weeks yell about how "we're NOT a one line team!!" it was actually lovely to hear the whole panel talk about how they're...a one line team.

Twitch

McD played 29:42, his DryLineMate played 29:04 and their Hyman maneuver played 26:12 in a losing cause. In regulation. That must mean either the tOil is a one line team or the rest of the Oiling forwards were playing between periods.

WINNING REEL IN OILTOWN

Again, the win is tempered by having Cootbert and Homer Simpson drone on about how to play the McStars more.

GAME STATS

SHOTS

OMG! So Many Shots against!

PLAYER POINTS

TACO TEAM TALK

"We just grinded it out" - Coach Taco

Doubling the scoreline and the presser, Bess and Lindy.

Capt'n Huggie scoring points and making points.

Artie just chilling and stopping 42 shots.

A Taco Tough grindy grindy game where the Nucks outplayed, outscored the Oil in the 1st and grindy grindy grinded out the rest of the game. Ain't playoff hockey fun?

Something something about defence and winning.

Nucks back to work on Tuesday in the well-Oiled Mall of Hockey. The tOilers seemed to be pissed-off that this 'inferior' team is up in the series. So we can expect more chippiness. Do we care? The Nucks can happily play chippy underdog hockey. And win. No run 'n gun stuff tho.