SAN JOSE – All four of the Sharks' lines have been in a blender for much of the season.
Now, with Logan Couture out for at least one game and probably longer, and Micheal Haley getting tagged with a one-game suspension, the coaching staff has no choice but to mix and match the remaining forwards in time for Tuesday's home game with the Rangers.
They'll hope it's the right recipe to snap out of what has been a miserable six-game losing streak in regulation, including the last two in which the Sharks have been outscored 13-3 by Dallas and Nashville.
The most notable player to be shifted is Patrick Marleau, who will apparently be centering the second line against New York. It will be just the fifth game he starts at center this season, and first since Feb. 11 in Philadelphia, when he was filling in for an ill Couture.
Marleau, of course, has played plenty of center over the years, including the second half of last season and first handful of playoff games when he was in the middle of the third line.
"I don't think there's been a year where I haven't played center, so it's just one of those things, move in and out," Marleau said. "We're interchangeable throughout the whole lineup, anyway."
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Marleau has been one of the few effective Sharks players lately, with three of the team's last five goals. He has 26 goals on the season, third on the team, and is fifth on the Sharks in points with 44.
"Patty is playing great. I don't think we could ask for more from him," said coach Pete DeBoer. "Arguably a lot of nights this year he's been our best forward. He's playing hard, he's playing strong. He's been a real valuable piece for us. We wouldn't be in the spot we're in this year without him and the way he's played this year."
Marleau is set to skate with Melker Karlsson and Mikkel Boedker, as Karlsson is good to go after missing the last eight games with a lower body injury. The 26-year-old Swede is having a nice season with 19 points (9g, 10a) in 60 games.
The third line featured Tomas Hertl between Joel Ward and Marcus Sorensen, while Chris Tierney will center the fourth line with Timo Meier and Joonas Donskoi.
Karlsson, who confirmed he was ready to return, said: "Cooch is out, and we'll see how long he's going to be out, but I'll do my best. I'm going to work hard, and hopefully can get going here."
Marleau described Karlsson as "tenacious on the forecheck, causes a lot of turnovers. He's hungry on that puck. He's going to get his opportunities, and I'm sure he'll put a few in the back of the net."
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Of course, the Sharks don't care who scores the goals, just as long as it's someone. It's been a season-long issue for them to get their depth scorers to do more, and if they want any chance at reclaiming first place in the Pacific Division while Couture is out, that will be a necessity.
Among the players that will bring their scoring woes into Tuesday's game will be Donskoi (no points 13 games), Hertl (no points in 12 games), Boedker (no points in 10 games), Ward (no points in six games), Sorensen (one assist in 10 games) and Tierney (one goal in 12 games).
Could Couture's absence be a wake up call for those guys?
"I would hope it doesn't take an injury to get that. That's something we're looking for, it's something we've challenged the group to get more out of them," DeBoer said.
"They're the first guys to recognize they've got to give us a little bit more. That's been an ongoing process. The good news is they've all done it before. I feel that they all have the ability to raise their level another notch here before the playoffs. I think they have enough character that we'll see that."
Time is growing short, as the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin in a little more than two weeks.
Marleau said: "When you go into playoffs, [secondary scoring] is usually what makes a difference. We need everybody contributing and guys stepping up at different times. We know that in this room, and guys are looking forward to doing that."
