Patrick Marleau is back. With a vengeance.
After spending the first 19 years of his NHL career in San Jose, Patrick Marleau scored in his first game back with the Sharks on Thursday night.
Not once, but twice in the Sharks' 5-4 over the Blackhawks in Chicago.
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Trailing 2-1 to the Blackhawks in the dying seconds of the opening period, Marleau redirected Erik Karlsson's shot from the point for a power-play goal to tie the score at two goals apiece.
Marleau came through in the clutch once more in the latter stages of the second period. He crashed the net following a Brent Burns shot from the point, and stuffed in his second tally of the night, evening the score at 4-4.
San Jose had been struggling offensively, having scored only five goals through the first four games of the season. Marleau was brought back in part to address that issue, and clearly, it has paid immediate benefits.
[RELATED: Marleau explains why he's so thrilled to return to Sharks]
San Jose Sharks
He really is Mr. Shark.