Winning without Patrick Marleau: Was Game One a Preview of Next Year’s Sharks?

Thanks in large part to the continued impressive play from center Joe Pavelski, the San Jose Sharks took the victory in the opening game of their Western Conference Semifinal series with the Detroit Red Wings.

With the win, the Sharks won their first series opener since beating the Red Wings in Detroit during the 2007 Western Semifinals, and they are now positioned to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

But despite winning Game One by a 4-3 final, arguably the most intriguing storyline was the fact Sharks' star forward Patrick Marleau was not in the lineup.

Reports prior to puck drop ranged from an u...

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