Islanders 4, Sharks 3 (SO)
Captain John Tavares recorded two assists in regulation and scored deciding goal in the fifth round of the shootout as New York defeated visiting San Jose to remain unbeaten.
Kyle Okposo collected a goal and an assist while Josh Bailey and defenseman Nick Leddy also scored for the Islanders. Tavares made a nifty deke to score in the bonus format and Jaroslav Halak (20 saves) stopped Joe Thornton to clinch it for New York, which is off to a 4-0-0 start for the third time in club history.
Defenseman Brent Burns registered a goal and an assist while Thornton set up two scores for the Sharks, who extended their season-opening point streak to four games (3-0-1). Patrick Marleau and Tomas Hertl also tallied while Alex Stalock turned aside 42 shots for San Jose, which received a shootout goal from Logan Couture in the first round before Okposo tied it in the third.
San Jose was outshot 14-3 in the first period before Burns snapped a scoreless tie 1:39 into the second, beating Halak from the left faceoff circle with a one-timer off a cross-ice pass by Joe Pavelski. Leddy tied it 2:26 later with his second goal in as many games on a rising shot from the top of the right circle.
The teams traded power-play goals as Marleau’s screen shot from the left point gave the Sharks the lead 9:14 into the second session and Okposo tallied from the slot 5:57 into the third. Bailey knocked in a loose puck 2:41 later, but Hertl got behind the Islanders’ defense to score with 8:44 left in regulation.
GAME NOTEBOOK: New York C Mikhail Grabovski suffered an upper-body injury on a hard hit from San Jose LW John Scott in the first period and did not return. … Sharks D Mirco Mueller registered his first NHL point with an assist on Burns’ goal. … The Islanders activated Calvin de Haan, who logged 18:38 of ice time Thursday, from injured reserve and sent fellow D Griffin Reinhart to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.