Sharks’ Patrick Marleau making most of role on third line

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Thursday night when Patrick Marleau skates onto the ice here, it will be his 156th playoff game as a San Jose Shark.

Ponder that number. That’s almost the equivalent of two NHL regular seasons. Just in playoff games.

In all of those faceoffs and wins and losses, what hasn’t he seen?

“I haven’t seen a Stanley Cup,” is Marleau’s quick answer.

He won’t have many more chances. His birthday tells us so. Marleau is 36 years old, even if he didn’t look it Tuesday night. His still-swift legs carried him past Nashville’s top defensive pairing for a well-aimed wrist shot that resulted in the Sharks’ only goal in an eventual 4-1 loss.

If the beloved Los Tiburones snap back and win Thursday to take a 3-1 lead in the series, they need more of the same offensive playmaking. Not just from Marleau. But definitely from Marleau.

Pete DeBoer, the Sharks’ coach, has been consistently complimentary of Marleau over the past few weeks, saying that “he has been excellent” and calling him “a key piece for us.”

Yet on Wednesday afternoon, DeBoer added that like the entire team, Marleau’s play had dipped a little in Game 2 on Sunday night.

Marleau finished the regular season in a strange and unusual place. For the first time since 2002, his name was not among the Sharks’ top three scorers, although 25 goals and 48 points is hardly horrible production.

At least in part, the scoring dip occurred because Marleau accepted a role that some would deem lesser in prestige. He remains on the Sharks’ top power-play unit. But since roughly midseason, he has been playing third-line centerman rather than his historically familiar spot as a winger or center on one of the Sharks’ top two lines.

It was DeBoer who convinced Marleau it was for the greater good to make the move - as the coach explained a couple of weeks ago as the Sharks were on their way to defeating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round.

“He and I still have talks about whether it’s the best position for him,” DeBoer said of Marleau. “But he’s a team guy. He’s doing his best to help the team win.”

The fact is, Marleau’s current role might have never been more important or crucial for the Sharks in a playoff setting. Here’s why:

So far in this series, Nashville has done a decent job of controlling damage done by the Sharks’ top line centered by Joe Thornton and an adequate job against the second line centered by Logan Couture. For the Sharks to win, they need Marleau to give them an advantage on the third line and lift the play of his younger and less experienced wingers, Matt Nieto and Melker Karlsson.

As DeBoer said Wednesday, his coaching system is based on “depth, energy, four lines and pressure.” Marleau’s speed -he and Nieto are the team’s two fastest skaters - can help the Sharks match the Predators in all of those categories.

Goodness knows, Marleau wants the team to make an extended postseason run as much as he ever has. A week ago, Marleau was in a reflective mood during an extended interview. He was asked why this group of Sharks might be the one that could make a serious run at the Cup.

“We just find ways to win,” Marleau answered. “I think throughout the season, it’s been that way. Winning as many games as we have on the road and going into buildings and finding ways to win.”

“I feel I can get better,” Marleau said. “I still love the game, have a passion for it. It’s always something a little bit different. For me, you’re never going to play a perfect game. But you can always try. The trainers and Pete have done a really good job of managing us physically. And there’s a mental side to that, as well.”

As for his altered role ... well, Marleau isn’t saying much about it.

“Let’s wait until afterwards to talk about that,” he said, then adding: “It’s a fair question. I’d rather not say anything. And I’d rather not anything be said about it, right now.”

Which is fine. Marleau has generally let his play speak for itself. Remember those reports from last October and November that Marleau had requested the Sharks front office to look into trading him? No one is talking about those any more.

“There’s always rumors out there,” Marleau said. “It’s one of those things, part of the business. It’s one of those things you deal with.”