Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak makes season debut

ABOUT THE SHARKS (4-0-0): San Jose’s fast start can be greatly attributed to goaltender Martin Jones (4-0-0, two goals allowed in 245 minutes, 108 saves on 110 shots), who had his shutout string end at 234:33 on Friday when Adam Henrique scored with 3:38 remaining in regulation.

“It’s a back to back, and he deserves to play”, Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “Every game doesn’t always go the way you script it. You don’t always get the lead and we found a way”.

In the first period, Stalock stopped Mikhail Grabovski on a penalty shot with 2:13 to go in the frame and the Islanders trailing, 1-0. “You play a long time, it’s meaningful”.

Saturday night, the Isles won their third in a row but again were sluggish through 20 minutes before pressuring the Sharks into mistakes and a bushel of goals – an impressive feat against a team that had allowed only two goals in its four wins this season.

The Islanders challenged the play for goalie interference, as Pavelski made incidental contact with Halak, but the goal stood after a video review. “I think we have to buckle down there and get more of a pushback”. “But he wasn’t interfered with”.

“Obviously the Mets are playing tonight so maybe it took away from our game a little bit, but we just want to give the fans as much as we can”, said Okposo, who scored the game-winner Saturday night in the Isles’ 6-3 home win over the previously unbeaten Sharks.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (2-1-1): Anders Lee has a goal and two assists as he appears on his way to validating his breakout 25-goal output last season.

Johnny Boychuk’s ripper from the side boards caromed off iron and in just 21 seconds into the second to make it 1-1. New game. But no, the Sharks got their lead back 20 seconds after that through Nikolay Goldobin, whose name just cries out to be a goalscorer. Lee’s goal was a bit controversial, as Stalock had removed his mask a second before the puck went in, but the officials didn’t buy Stalock’s explanation that a strap had broken on his mask, and let the goal stand. “It happens so rarely, I never looked into the rule, but now I know that if the helmet comes off, it’s game on”.

Finally, Nielsen empty netter was his first of the season, the 100th of his career, all in an Islanders uniform, in accordance with the prophecies.

The teams combined for five goals in a seesaw second period, and the result was a 3-3 tie headed into the third.

NOTES: While G Jaroslav Halak made his season debut, G Thomas Greiss wasn’t dressed as a backup despite starting three of the Islanders’ first four games.

For the second straight game a key piece was removed from the Sharks’ lineup, as defenseman Martin was scratched from the blue line with a lower body injury.

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A four-game Sharks road trip concludes at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers on Monday.