1. Game 3 of the Western Conference Final went tonight at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, and saw the Sharks climb back into the series with a 4-3 win over the Canucks. The score was flattering to the visitors, as the Sharks absolutely DOMINATED through 2 periods. The Canucks couldn’t string two passes together. They were outhustled, outworked, spent an entire period in the penalty box, managed only a couple of grade ‘A’ 5-on-5 scoring chances – which Antii Niemi was more than equal to – and generally deserved a much more lopsided defeat.

2. The reasons for the Canucks loss were many and varied, but one had people scratching their heads even before the opening faceoff. Alain Vigneault, having just coached his team to their most dominant performance of the 2011 playoffs, decided to tinker with the lineup. AV has done a brilliant job with the team this year, but his love for the grinder is well documented – not to mention a source of constant frustration to his detractors – and I have to question why you would follow up a 7-3 drubbing of your opponent by replacing two skill players, in Tambellini and Hodgson, with Tanner Glass – who’s been passive at best – and Alex Bolduc – who has two career goals and hasn’t played in these playoffs yet. Add ‘outcoached’ to the list. San Jose bench boss Todd McLellan has last lineup benefits at home; when he saw AV putting more muscle on the ice – almost certainly a reaction to Ben Eager’s game three goonery – he simply benched the slobbering dolt. With him in the press box, the Sharks didn’t have to worry about dumb penalties. They came out flying, and were up 3-0 before Eager even understood that he wasn’t allowed to play this day.

(Article continued after the following sports-related ad content, which you really ought to read.)

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(Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled chicanery.)

3. The “start Cory Schneider in game 4” trolls are coming out. Why? Well, because Roberto Luongo hasn’t won in the shark tank since 2007, of course! Duh! Never mind that the Canucks have scored a grand total of six goals in the four games he’s played there since. Never mind that the four goals he allowed on Friday were scored exclusively on power plays or breakaways. Never mind that every other starter in the playoffs has allowed at least 5 goals in a single conference final game without widespread calls for their replacement. Never mind all that. Let’s start the rookie. Idiots.

4. San Jose has Lycra-clad doofuses (or is it doofi?) sitting beside the opposing penalty box. Newsflash, guys, the original doofi’s act wore thin a while ago. Unless you have SPECTACULAR material – or spectacular and/or pierced breasts – you’re unoriginal and boring. Next.

5. Those Teal Men or Orange Men or whatever the hell they are had plenty of work, as the Canucks took a staggering ELEVEN minor penalties, including the backbreaker, with under a minute to play, that ensured the Canucks wouldn’t tie up the game late. You simply can’t expect to hand a team of the Sharks calibre ten powerplays and win the game. The Sharks held an edge even-strength as well, but a lot of that was momentum generated from playing up a man so much of the night. Discipline has to be the theme heading into game 4 on Sunday.

6. That said, the Canucks special teams deserve some credit. After allowing goals on the first two Shark power plays (and the first five in the series overall), the Vancouver PK gathered itself. They went 1/8 the rest of the way, allowing one further goal on a controversial five-on-three in the third period, with their two best penalty killers in the box. The Canucks power play, on the other hand, made a game of it late, scoring two goals on a late five-minute man advantage to draw Vancouver within one. Sure, the Canucks got massively outplayed, but the Sharks are going to remember that even their best game only got them a one-goal victory. Quick: name the last time the Sharks won a game by more than one goal.

7. The Canucks defensive depth looks to be tested once again. Christian Ehrhoff left the game with an apparent shoulder injury, and Aaron Rome was annihilated by a Jamie McGinn check from behind that would garner a suspension in the regular season (playoffs are a different story; perhaps the wheel of justice needs to be oiled after a long season). The Canucks finished the game with just four blue liners. That’s right: four. At time of writing it’s unknown how long either will be out, but it’s a good bet that one or both of them will miss game four on Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, Vancouver’s seventh through twelfth defensemen are nearly good enough to form a starting six on a lesser NHL team. Look for a very well-rested Keith Ballard to draw into the lineup on Sunday and have an impact on the game.