Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds (17) celebrates with teammates Valtteri Filppula (51) and Jakub Voracek (93) after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. Philadelphia won 5-3. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

By Matthew Harrington

A Wayne Simmonds hat trick spoiled the San Jose Sharks’ home opener Wednesday night, with the Philadelphia Flyers snapping the Sharks’ seven-game opening game win streak 5-3. Kevin Labanc scored a pair of goals and Logan Couture was gifted another but poor special teams play and miscues cost the Sharks their first game at home.

Netminder Martin Jones produced the season’s first gaffe in the opening period, attempting to clear a puck on his own down the left wing. Instead Jones’ flick of the puck landed on Jakub Voracek’s stick. Voracek’s cross-ice pass to Claude Giroux for a wide-open net put Philly up 1-0 8:28 into play.

Labanc’ s unusual season debut started 10:21 into the 1st when he was sent to the penalty box for goaltender interference. Former LA King Jordan Weal converted just a minute into the man-advantage for a 2-0 lead.

Labanc rebound later in the period, scoring from the same spot in the crease he was previously penalized for occupying on a redirect with 2:43 left in the period. Labanc would score again with 19 seconds left in the 1st.

The young Sharks forward again found himself in the box with 2:32 left in the 2nd, this time falling victim to the NHL’s commitment to tightening up on slashing infractions. Wayne Simmonds redirected a Shayne Gostisbehere point shot past Jones for a 3-2 lead just six seconds into San Jose’s penalty kill.

There was a brief glimmer of hope after Logan Couture banked a puck off Andrew McDonald’s skate and behind Flyers goalie Brian Elliott 3:12 into the third on the power play, but a third Labanc penalty, this time a trip while flailing to the ice, put Philly on the power play 9:21 into the period. Simmonds would score his second of the game five seconds later. Simmonds converted the empty-netter for the hat trick.

The Sharks penalty kill went two for five, while its power play went two for six. Both those figures need to be improved upon drastically heading into a matchup Saturday night with the rival Los Angeles Kings. After that the Sharks have three more home games before their first road test of the season.