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Discuss: Sharks beat Canucks, can sweep Tuesday

Joe Pavelski

The brooms will be out Tuesday in San Jose after the Sharks blew out the Canucks, 5-2, Sunday at HP Pavilion.

San Jose now leads the first-round series, 3-0, and will try not to look past Vancouver before finishing the job in Game 4.

For the Canucks, it’s almost eery how similar the 2013 playoffs have been to last year, when they went out in five to the Kings in the first round. In both series, goalie Roberto Luongo got the start in the first two games -- at home against a lower seed -- and lost twice. Also in both series, Cory Schneider came in for Game 3 on the road, but couldn’t turn the tide.

Granted, like last year, goaltending hasn’t been the biggest issue for Vancouver. The Canucks just can’t score anymore.

Some discussion points:

---- Fun fact for Sharks fans: the last three teams to beat the Canucks in the playoffs won the Stanley Cup.

---- Fun fact II for Sharks fans: Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau scored twice in nine seconds in the third period, but it wasn’t the fastest two goals in San Jose playoff history. The club record is eight seconds, by John MacLean and Ron Sutter in 1998.

--- Not only did Couture finish with two goals and two assists, he was practically unbeatable in the faceoff circle.

---- Is Joe Pavelski the best third-line center in the NHL right now? They used to say that about Jordan Staal when he was in Pittsburgh, but then he was traded to Carolina. Pavelski had San Jose’s first two goals in Game 3, both on neat redirects.

---- Schneider was pulled after allowing five goals, including three in the opening minutes of the third period. Who will get the nod for the Canucks on Tuesday? Does it even matter?

---- Is there any way head coach Alain Vigneault keeps his job if the Canucks lose to San Jose, which it appears they will? If he’s fired, would it be the right call, or is it general manager Mike Gillis who deserves the blame for the team’s failings the past two years? Is a major roster shakeup required, or do they give it one more year with the current group? The Sedins have one more year remaining on their contracts before they can become unrestricted free agents.