Marleau hopes for revival

Patrick Marleau’s third-period goal in Game 3 was much welcomed as the game-winner for San Jose. But could it serve a greater purpose -- waking up the Sharks’ leading goal scorer?

“One hopes so,” said Marleau, who after scoring 38 goals in the regular season has managed only six shots in the series, or one fewer than the Ducks’ Bobby Ryan took in Game 3.

Marleau also put his team in a bind early by drawing a high-sticking double-minor 17 seconds into the game.

“We’re still waiting for some players to play better,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said after Thursday’s morning skate, refusing to name names. “You guys can guess or anticipate who they might be, but Patty is part of the core group, and you usually win and lose with the core group.”

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, asked if Marleau were the type of player who might be jump-started by a goal, said he only wanted to talk about his own players.

Truth doesn’t hurt

Ducks winger Teemu Selanne said he didn’t get any flak from teammates for his tirade after the 4-3 loss in Game 3, when he lamented the team’s inability to stay out of the penalty box and said taking so many penalties is “almost like hitting yourself in the head.”

A calmer Selanne said Thursday he hadn’t heard any criticism in the locker room.

“I think you’ve got to be honest,” he said. “Nobody wants to take a penalty. Everything happens so quickly, you just react the wrong way. It’s all about learning, you know. That’s why we have video and we have team meetings, to learn something, be honest and move on. Everybody knows how we can be better and smarter.”

As for the video reviews and team meetings, Selanne said such things didn’t exist when he came into the NHL with Winnipeg in 1992-93.

“There was no video,” he said. “Only the other team’s lineup was [posted] on the board.”

On Niedermayer

Jeremy Roenick isn’t quite old enough to have seen Eddie Shore, but Roenick threw some impressive names into the conversation Thursday in complimenting Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer.

“He might be probably the best defenseman I’ve ever seen,” said Roenick, 39. “You go back to Bobby Orr, [Detroit’s Nicklas] Lidstrom, I can’t remember seeing a better defenseman.”

It’s difficult to compare styles, but Roenick rated Niedermayer above bruising defenseman Scott Stevens.

Even better than Paul Coffey, who was renowned for his swift and natural skating style?

“Coffey even looked like he was working hard at times,” Roenick said. “Niedermayer never works hard. Never. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever seen. I hate him right now.”

Big pads

For the Sharks, there is beating Jonas Hiller. And then there is beating Jonas Hiller.

Over the last two regular seasons, Hiller is 1-5 against San Jose but has given up only 13 goals. Until Game 3, he had given up more than two goals only once in eight career starts against San Jose. Now that the Sharks have seen him five times in the last three weeks, what have they learned?

“He’s got big pads, I’ll tell you that,” Roenick said. “He fills up a lot of the net. A lot of the goals you get off him are second opportunities or deflection opportunities. He’s shown great poise and great confidence in the net.”

Having faith

This is Ducks defenseman Sheldon Brookbank’s first NHL playoff series, but he said he felt comfortable in the emotionally charged atmosphere.

He did have help in knowing what to expect, thanks to his older brother, Wade, who plays for Tampa Bay.

“He always had faith that I was going to make it here, so that helped me believe,” Brookbank said. “He kind of paved the way for me.”

Changeup

Ducks center Petteri Nokelainen, who had won only six of 20 faceoffs in the series, was a healthy scratch for Game 4. He was replaced by Ryan Carter.

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billywitz@yahoo.com

helene.elliott@latimes.com