Sharks 6 Canucks 4

"I think it was probably our worst effort of the season," remarked the captain. "I thought we got out-competed and that can't happen. We didn't play the way we were supposed to. We didn't backcheck as hard as we should and we didn't make the right plays at the bluelines."

So this is what happens when Roberto Luongo doesn’t stand on his head. Canuck fans had better hope it doesn’t happen often. Luongo was ordinary and so were many of his teammates in what was a shaky home opener. Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo were held in check, but it didn’t matter. Too many turnovers and Luongo, for a change, wasn’t there to bail them out.

"It was not a great night, not at all," Luongo muttered. "I'm obviously disappointed with my performance and I'm disappointed for the fans, it being the first home game. I didn't play very well."

Put it down to opening-night jitters. The cast members forgot their lines. Missed their cues. Tripped over the furniture.

Or maybe ... you know, stuff happens on Friday the 13th. It does. Triskadekaphobia -- could be that's what got them.

Whatever you put it down to, remember it's the 13th of October, not April. There are six long months ahead in which to work up a good panic. Don't peak too soon.

1. Milan Michalek (SJ): Was dangerous all night on a line with Patrick Marleau and chipped in with assists on the first two Sharks goals.
2. Christian Ehrhoff (SJ): On a deep Sharks team, stood out and played some solid shutdown "d". Wasn't on the ice for any of the Canucks goals, scored one of his own and finished with a +3 rating.
3. Kevin Bieksa (VAN): Stepped up to the plate in Sami Salo's absence and logged more than 24 minutes of ice-time and chipped in a goal (his first in the NHL) and two assists.

• Looking for positives here... After allowing six powerplay goals in 24 chances on the road, the Canucks killed all six Sharks powerplays. Prior to last night's game, the Sharks had converted on 30% (9 out of 30) of their man-advantages.
• A couple of milestones... Markus Naslund's goal was his 300th as a Canucks and he is now tied with Trevor Linden for the franchise lead. Kevin Bieksa's goal was his 1st ever NHL goal. And he only waited 44 games and a few posts and crossbars to get it.
• Lukas Krajicek looked slick again last night. He kinda reminds me of Jyrki Lumme. If he can be a bit more conscious of his defensive positioning, he could play a significant role on this team's defense.
• Marc Chouinard made his Canucks debut in forgettable fashion. In only 7:36 minutes of ice-time, he recorded a -2 rating and lost 4 of 7 faceoffs.
• Get well soon, Sami. Seriously.
• To the guy sitting behind us, dropping "F-bombs" all night, thanks for the lovely experience.

About the game around the blogosphere

• The Chief Canuck has the good, the bad, and the ugly from the game. (Welcome to the blogroll, buddy.)
• Waiting For Stanley grades the game and points out that the Canucks actually shut down the Thornton/Cheechoo train. Too bad every other line scored.
• If you thought you were a diehard fan, meet Jess Knaster from Sharks Hockey Odyssey, who is on a mission to watch all 82 Sharks games this season. He gives his game recap and thoughts on Vancouver here.

• Official Scoresheet
• Official Stat Sheet
• Shift Chart