Sharks crush Islanders in testy affair

Joonas Donskoi and Logan Couture each registered a goal and an assist, and Tomas Hertl added three assists as the San Jose Sharks defeated the visiting New York Islanders 4-1 on Saturday.

Joonas Donskoi and Logan Couture each registered a goal and an assist, and Tomas Hertl added three assists as the San Jose Sharks defeated the visiting New York Islanders 4-1 on Saturday.

Sharks goaltender Martin Jones stopped 24 New York shots as the teams split their two-game season series. San Jose swept a two-game homestand, outscoring the opposition by a 9-2 margin.

Brock Nelson scored the lone New York goal, and Robin Lehner made 37 saves in a physical affair that saw 19 penalties, including four misconducts handed out in the third period. The Islanders finished their four-game road trip with a 1-3-0 record.

San Jose forged a two-goal, second-period lead at 3-1 on goals by Donskoi and Brent Burns. Antti Suomela stole the puck from Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield and was stopped by Lehner, but the rebound was left for Donskoi to convert for his third goal of the season at 4:59.

Burns padded San Jose's lead with his first goal of the season at 13:50. Coming off the right boards, Burns shrugged off New York's Jordan Eberle for a perfectly placed backhander, with Hertl and Donskoi drawing assists. San Jose outshot New York 15-7 in the middle frame.

Couture added a third-period insurance goal, his fifth of the season at 4:32 on assists from Hertl and Joakim Ryan to close out the scoring.

The teams traded goals in an evenly played first period. San Jose's Timo Meier opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season, converting his own rebound on Lehner's doorstep at 7:59 with Couture and Hertl registering assists.

Nelson tied the score at 1 with his second goal of the season at 19:27. Josh Bailey dragged the puck past San Jose's Justin Braun just inside the Sharks' blue line and found Bailey alone for a wrist shot that beat Jones cleanly. Anders Lee earned the secondary assist.

 

(With inputs from agencies.)