Similar to the Philadelphia game last year, it’s good to get one like this out of the way early in the season.  Very early.  There wasn’t a whole lot to talk about that was positive about yesterday’s PPV game against the Capitals.

Other than that fact that Curtis Sanford played pretty well, and according to John Shorthouse, was the only Canuck who hadn’t played in the regular season, so he wasn’t as tired as the others.  Excuse me?  You shouldn’t be tired after the third game of the season.  Fatigue should not be a factor.

It wasn’t that hard to hear the legions jumping off the bandwagon saying, "I knew they sucked."  As if these people actually expected the Canucks to go 82 – 0 during the regular season.  It’s not going to happen, folks.  They’re going to lose games.  Including some that they should win.  Against teams that they should always beat. 

After all, the Red Wings lost to the Leafs on opening night, and theoretically they should never lose to the Leafs.  But it happens.  Teams have off nights, and the Canucks are going to lose games.  But for people (I’m looking at you, McRae) to talk about how the second line has done nothing to contribute so far is absolutely ludicrous.  Who scored the winning goal the other night?  Pavol Demitra. 

Now’s not the time to start panicking about the fact that the Canucks lost a game.  It’s going to happen. 

But don’t start saying that the Canucks are tired three games in.  Because if they are, they’ve got big problems, considering that they’ve only got three games at GM Place in the month of October.  But I don’t think that’s the case.  We’ll just have to see how they do against Detroit on Thursday, and Buffalo on Friday.

From behind the bench:

• Capitals kill the Canucks 5 – 1 – Waiting for Stanley
• A Gentlemanly Evening In The Swamp – Yankee Canuck Liveblog