Photo credit: @EMISports

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN JOSE–The San Jose Sharks power play clicked in a big way Thursday night, pushing team teal to a 5-1 win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Logan Couture scored his third career hat trick, Joe Pavelski picked up a power play strike and Joonas Donskoi also lit the lamp a man up to give the home team a win in the debut of their new Stealth jerseys. Jake McCabe lit the lamp for Buffalo, the only shot out of 25 to beat Sharks netminder Martin Jones.

With early season power play woes leading to a bottom-five power play for the Sharks entering play Thursday, changes were made to the first power play unit. It’s safe to assume assistant coach Steve Spott, power play coach for San Jose, found the right mix.

Kyle Okposo drew a double-minor for high sticking just 1:45 into the game, giving the Sharks their first man advantage. With time expiring on the first minor, Joonas Donskoi potted his second goal of the season 3:35 into the game. Logan Couture fired back rapid fire, beating Buffalo keeper Carton Hutton for his second goal of the campaign just 27 seconds later for a 2-0 Sharks edge and two power play goals on two opportunities.

San Jose didn’t score in the second and Buffalo’s McCabe scooped up a rebound for his first goal of the year 1:35 into the period to cut the Sharks lead to 2-1. The Sharks dominated the third though, with Logan Couture scoring the lone even strength Sharks goal of the game 4:54 into the third for his second of the game.

Joe Pavelski scored San Jose’s third power play goal of the night over a whopping seven opportunities, moving San Jose to 19th in the league with a 17.8 percent success rate. Couture capped the hat trick off with an empty-net goal with 1:47 left in regulation.

Buffalo went 0-for-5 on the power play to cap a great special teams night for the Sharks. Evander Kane and Brent Burns each had a pair of assists. The Sharks welcome another team from the Empire State to the Shark Tank Saturday night. The Islanders come to town after shellacking the Los Angeles Kings Thursday night.