San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Logan Couture netted the game-winning goal
with 8:10 remaining in the third period to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 3-1
victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday.
Tomas Hertl scored on the power play, James Sheppard tallied a late goal and
Antti Niemi turned aside 19 shots for the Sharks, who have registered at least
a point in four straight games.
Kyle Okposo supplied New York’s lone marker and Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves
in his team’s third straight loss.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic sent a pass across the blue line to Justin Braun, who had
his slap pass re-directed into the top of the net by Couture at the right side
of the cage with 8:10 remaining.
Andrew Desjardins slipped a cross-ice pass to Adam Burish and Sheppard
finished off the play by taking Sheppard’s pass through the slot and tipping
the puck over a sprawled Halak with 4:25 to play.
Johnny Boychuk entered the offensive zone and dropped a pass back to Okposo,
who made a nifty deke around a defender and beat Niemi with a quick wrister
from the left side 8:04 into the game.
The Sharks tied the game just over two minutes later on the power play. Matt
Nieto forced a turnover behind the net, Tommy Wingels gathered the loose puck
and Hertl one-timed Wingels’ pass into the back of the net.
Game Notes
Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic returned to the lineup after missing four
games with an upper-body injury … New York dropped to 0-4-0 when they score
less than three goals … San Jose has outscored opponents, 15-2, in the first
period this season … The Islanders downed the Sharks, 4-3, in a shootout on
Oct. 16.
