SAN JOSE -- Bryan Marchment was skating near center ice when he spied St. Louis Blues defenseman Lubos Bartecko out of the corner of his eye. Bartecko was skating with the puck along the side boards.
Slowly, Marchment reversed his course. The Sharks defenseman had spotted his prey and began sliding diagonally toward Bartecko. He glided, gradually increasing his speed. Bartecko dished the puck. Here was the opening.
CRUNCH!!
Bartecko crumpled to the ice. A full house in San Jose Arena went nuts. And Marchment skated off, looking for his next helping.
Welcome to the world of the Sharks' shark.
"Bryan Marchment," teammate Jeff Norton said, "has the ability to change a game."
And so far, in the Sharks' first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against St. Louis, he's done just that. Marchment has been one of the heroes as the Sharks have assumed a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-7 series, which continues with Game 4 tonight at San Jose Arena.
"It's great to see him out there, getting a chance to play," Sharks defenseman Mike Rathje said. "There's no doubt he's had a big impact."
Indeed. Marchment has registered three nasty hits, and he hasn't accumulated a single penalty minute. He's also been one of the Sharks' steadiest players within their own zone.
Oh, and this as a bonus: He's also scored a goal. Marchment flipped a backhand off the back of St. Louis goalie Roman Turek's pads for a third-period score in Game 2. Marchment didn't score a goal during the regular season and hadn't recorded a playoff goal since the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals.
"That's probably what everybody will want to talk to me about at my (hockey) camp this summer," he said.
Jokes aside, Marchment's real impact -- pardon the pun -- has carried an entirely different meaning. In a nutshell, Marchment's play is as subtle as a shoulder (or in some cases, an elbow) to the chest (or in some instances, the mouth).
Some call it physical. Others throw out the word "dirty." Whatever it is, it's worked. Marchment has been on the ice for only one of St. Louis' five even-strength goals in the series and only three of its eight overall.
"It's the playoffs," Marchment said. "Guys have to hit hard and stay within the rules. I guess (the Blues) could be getting frustrated, but I'm not concerned with that. I'm only concerned with playing my style."
That style is entirely without style. Marchment's job definition is to be a rather large pain in the posterior. He'll nudge an opponent here, poke another with his stick there. And always, he's waiting for his next feeding.
Against St. Louis, however, it's been a short wait. Marchment's hit on Bartecko came in the opening minutes of Game 3 and was the second time he's teed off on the Slovakian youngster. Marchment nailed Bartecko with an elbow to the face in Game 1. In between, he blasted Ladislav Nagy into the boards during the first period of Game 2.
Isolated incidents, to be sure, but ones with a lasting impact.
"When he does that, it's very effective," Norton said. "It makes them think of the possibility of a big hit. If you're not careful, then you can get really hurt. Bryan hits really hard. ... It makes their players look up, no question. It really makes a difference."
For much of the regular season, however, that ingredient was missing. Marchment missed 33 games during the regular season because of an assortment of ailments -- he sustained injuries to a knee, an ankle and a groin-- and served a three-game suspension for spearing.
But, he said, the playoffs are a chance to wipe the slate clean.
"This is what it's all about," he said. "I get shivers just talking about it."
If Marchment has his way, so will the Blues.