Sharks top Islanders 4-1

SAN JOSE - Brent Burns scored San Jose's first goal from a defenseman this season and Logan Couture scored his fourth goal in two games to lead the Sharks past the New York Islanders 4-1 on Saturday night.

Timo Meier and Joonas Donskoi also scored to help the Sharks wrap up a brief two-game homestand with a second straight win and avenge a 4-0 loss at the Islanders earlier this month in a game that got testy down the stretch.

Martin Jones made 24 saves to earn his second straight win after opening the season with three regulation losses in his first four starts.

Brock Nelson scored the lone goal for the Islanders, who finished a road trip 1-3. Robin Lehner made 37 saves after shutting out San Jose on Oct. 8.

The Sharks came into the season expecting big production from the blue line after acquiring two-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson from Ottawa.

Burns also won a Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman and the two are the top scoring blue-liners in the league in recent years.

But neither one had scored a goal until Burns struck in the second period during 4-on-4 play.

Shortly after being denied by the post on a big shot, Burns muscled his way in from the boards and beat Lehner from in close with a backhander to give the Sharks a 3-1 lead.

Donskoi had put San Jose ahead earlier in the second when he converted on a rebound after fellow Finn Antti Suomela forced a turnover from Scott Mayfield in the offensive zone.

Couture, who had a hat trick Thursday against Buffalo, added the insurance goal early in the third off a feed from Tomas Hertl.

The teams traded goals in the first period with Meier opening the scoring after taking a feed from Logan Couture in close. Lehner saved Meier's first shot with his pad, but Meier knocked the rebound under Lehner's arm to give him points in five straight.

The Sharks controlled the play from there until the Islanders killed off a penalty late in the first and then got the equalizer in the final minute when Nelson got in behind Burns, took a pass from Josh Bailey and beat Jones.

Notes

San Jose's Barclay Goodrow got into a fight with Mayfield late in the second period and there were several scrums in the third, including another fight between New York's Anders Lee and Evander Kane. ... Islanders F Anthony Beauvillier (illness) was scratched and replaced by Tom Kuhnhackl. ... Sharks C Joe Thornton missed his sixth straight game with swelling in his surgically repaired right knee.