Preseason: Sharks 2 Canucks 0

It took three games, a couple worrisome goals and just a tablespoon of public consternation, but Roberto Luongo got his groove back.

And he knows exactly when it happened.

During Tuesday's second period, with the Sharks pressing, Luongo lost his stick in the midst of making one of his desperate, acrobatic plays. He never lost his composure, stopping a tipped shot and sliding across the crease to save another one with his elbow at the side of the net.

It was a play that made Luongo stand out like a beacon of hope on a team still labouring this preseason to find its identity.

It was a play that gave him confidence and left him feeling more comfortable than he's ever been in a Canucks uniform.

"Making those two big saves in a row really changed the momentum for me overall," Luongo said. "I was really solid after that and it led to my best game so far.

"The way I played after that is really where I want to be to start the season. It was a nice feeling to have. I really felt comfortable out there."

Luongo has long been billed as a guy who will give the Canucks, on almost every night, a chance to win. On Tuesday, on a team that didn't score, he lived up to his billing.

"That's what you want from your goaltender," coach Alain Vigneault said. "In the third period he had three huge saves to make and he made them. He gave us a chance to be in that game. He did his part."

Playing with Daniel and Henrik Sedin would be good for Markus Naslund. You could plant a cactus in the slot and the succulent would score 15 this season with the twins. The question: Is playing Naslund with the twins good for the Vancouver Canucks?

The Swedish three owned the puck on many shifts Tuesday but did not score against the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks, therefore, lost because nobody else scored either. Nobody else looked even in danger of scoring while Vancouver's best three forwards were pooled in one unit.

The coach, Alain Vigneault, said he'll audition Jan Bulis with the twins sometime during the Canucks' last three pre-season games, and also give Brendan Morrison and Naslund another chance to play together.

But he made it clear he does not believe playing Naslund with the twins necessarily makes the Canuck attack one-dimensional.

"I expect us to get better," Vigneault said. "I talk about us getting balanced scoring; I don't want us to be a one-line team. We should be able to generate chances throughout our forward lineup."

Morrison, Bertuzzi and Naslund once formed Vancouver's most dangerous offensive line, nicknamed the West Coast Express. That changed somewhat last season, when the Sedins and Carter emerged as genuine threats.

Now, with a new coaching staff and a remake of half the roster, no one's sure of the line combos before the NHL regular season begins Oct. 5.

The only certainty is the Sedins will play together.

Vigneault has gone so far as to experiment with Naslund alongside the twins, leaving Morrison the odd man out at times.