Marleau the key to San Jose's success

April 8, 2004

Four years ago when the Sharks met the St. Louis Blues in the playoffs, Marleau was a healthy scratch for six of the seven games.

Patrick Marleau needs to raise his game in order for the Sharks to succeed in the playoffs. (CP Photo)

Darryl Sutter, then coach of the Sharks, decided not to go with the inexperienced Marleau, choosing instead to rely on the seasoned Owen Nolan to lead the way for the Sharks.

Four years later, Marleau is an NHL all-star and finished the team's leading scorer in the regular season as the Sharks posted a franchise-record 104 points en route to winning the Pacific Division crown.

Four years older and wiser, Marleau will try to put the memory of the 2000 playoffs behind him when the Sharks open their Western Conference quarter-final series at home against the Blues on Thursday night.

"It's definitely a different situation now," Marleau told the San Jose Mercury News. "I was a younger guy then. Darryl liked going with veterans and stuff like that."

"It's going to be important for Patty to play well in the playoffs for us to be successful," added Sharks coach Ron Wilson.

But the pressure is on Marleau - and his teammates - to produce, especially for a team like the Sharks that have great depth.

"You'll see a lot of mixing up and riding the hot hand," Wilson said. "Players have to be prepared. If it is not a good night, they have to step aside. I won't hesitate to make a move if a guy is a detriment that night. Hopefully not, but it is my job to read that."

The Blues, after just barely making the playoffs, are looking forward to the challenge of facing the pesky Sharks.

"I think we're ready to go," said St. Louis right-winger Mark Rycroft. "We looked at this game as a chance for some of us to shake the rust off. But the team has played very well in the last 15 games or so."

This is the third time in five seasons the teams have met in the playoffs, with each team winning one series. In 2000, the eighth-seeded Sharks upset the Blues in the opening round. The following year, the fourth-seeded Blues beat the Sharks.