Sharks top Sabres 5-1

SAN JOSE - Logan Couture had his third career hat trick and the San Jose Sharks scored three times on the power play to beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 on Thursday night in their first game back from a five-game road trip.

Couture and Joonas Donskoi scored power-play goals 27 seconds apart in the first period following a double-minor against Kyle Okposo for high sticking. Couture added an even-strength goal in the third period off a feed from Evander Kane and capped the night with an empty-net goal.

Joe Pavelski also scored on the power-play in the third, giving the Sharks three goals with the man advantage after having just two in the first six games.

Martin Jones made 24 saves for the Sharks.

Jake McCabe scored the lone goal for the Sabres, who fell to 1-2 on their five-game western swing. Carter Hutton made 34 saves.

The Sharks have had a rough go on the power play early this season as they work on incorporating Erik Karlsson into the unit.

San Jose converted just 2 of its first 21 chances with the man advantage before capitalizing early against the Sabres when Okposo was called for high-sticking Rourke Chartier.

Late in the first power play, Karlsson’s shot from just inside the boards deflected off Donskoi and into the net to give San Jose the lead and another chance with the man advantage.

The Sharks didn’t take long to convert that one, as Couture won an offensive zone draw and got the puck back from Brent Burns on top of the circle, then beat Hutton for his second goal of the season.