Sharks defeat Islanders on late goal by Joe Pavelski

NEW YORK -- Joe Pavelski broke a tie with 2:11 remaining to help the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win against the New York Islanders at Barclays Center on Tuesday.
Pavelski, who had a goal and three assists one night earlier in a 7-4 loss at the New York Rangers, put the Sharks in front when he redirected a feed from Joe Thornton (two assists) past Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak.

Melker Karlsson and Tomas Hertl scored, Brent Burns had two assists and Aaron Dell made 21 saves in his NHL debut for the Sharks (3-1-0).
"We were all a little disappointed with our game (Monday) night, and I thought the guys came out and worked hard tonight," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. The Islanders played a solid game and we found a way.
Anthony Beauvillier and Anders Lee had goals for the Islanders, who have lost three of their first four games (1-3-0). Halak made 24 saves.
"It wasn't the prettiest hockey," Islanders captain John Tavares said.
Karlsson's first goal of the season opened the scoring 5:36 into the game. With the teams at even strength, Karlsson, who was left alone in front, one-timed Tommy Wingels' feed from behind the net past Halak.

Beauvillier tied it with his first NHL goal at 9:39 of the second. The 19-year-old took a pass from Josh Bailey and swatted his own rebound past Dell to make it 1-1.
Lee gave the Islanders their first lead of the game 2:10 later when he took a nice feed from Jason Chimera and roofed a shot from the slot over Dell. It was Lee's first goal of the season.
The Sharks tied it when Hertl scored with 1:57 remaining in the second period, redirecting a cross-ice feed from Thornton past Halak to make it 2-2.
"It's not a pattern that concerns me," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said of allowing goals late in periods. "I haven't coached a team in the last three or four years that I've seen a team give up more goals after we ice a puck. We dominate a shift, and then we ice the puck, and then it's in the back of our net.
"To me, you've just got to be smart in managing the puck. We had them on their heels, they couldn't change, and we ice the puck and have a defensive zone faceoff, and it's in the back of our net."
New York was unable to capitalize on a power play with 1:06 left when Pavelski accidentally shot the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty.
"It's just commitment level," Pavelski said. "It wasn't there (Monday) night, it was there tonight. You saw they're a dangerous team, they've got some skill and we didn't give them the odd-man rushes that they sometimes create."

Goal of the game

Islanders brass raved about Beauvillier's work ethic for much of training camp, and it was evident on his first NHL goal midway through the second period. After he took a pass from Bailey, Beauvillier drove to the net from the right circle, outworked Sharks defenseman Justin Braun and erased a 1-0 deficit with a third effort.

Save of the game

It was a long road for Dell, 27, to get to this point, but his biggest save in his NHL debut came 6:59 into the game. Lee made a power move in the slot to get off a quick backhand shot, but Dell was poised in his net and calmly steered it away to keep it a 1-0 game.

Highlight of the game

With the game tied 1-1, Chimera grabbed control of the puck from Burns, skated up from the corner along the left wall and flipped a pass into the slot for Lee, who quickly put a shot past Dell to give New York its first lead of the game at 11:49 of the second period.

Unsung moment of the game

Hertl had an impressive game, which included his tying goal late in the second period. But he quietly played a huge role on the winning goal, too, putting his 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame in front of Halak so the latter was unable to see when Pavelski redirected Thornton's pass for the game-winner.

They said it

"It took right 'til the very last second to make it real there. I didn't really realize it until after I got off (the ice). It was crazy. All my buddies back home were getting together to watch tonight. I'm sure my family was, too. It's awesome for that." -- Sharks goalie Aaron Dell
"It's big, really good bounce-back. Hockey is a weird sport, you just play. You just gotta get points. You can win and play (bad) or you can lose and play great, but at the end of the day it's just about getting points and putting them in the bank. It's the way this sport is. It's a results-based business. It doesn't matter how you get 'em. It's like a goal, empty-netter or breakaway, it's all the same at the end of the day. It's just about getting points." -- Sharks defenseman Brent Burns
"I'm happy it came so fast, just get it out of my mind already. I'm just happy that I had my first one, so I can move on from there and get a second and third one." -- Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier on his first NHL goal
"We haven't played awful hockey by any means, we just haven't won a couple games here. You're going to go through stretches like this, it just (stinks) when it's the start of the season and you're trying to get points." -- Islanders forward Anders Lee
Video: SJS@NYI: Thornton's feed deflects off Hertl and in

Need to know

It was the first time the Islanders lost in regulation against a Western Conference team since they moved to Barclays Center last season (13-1-2). … Burns' two assists gives him eight points (three goals, five assists) in four games. … Sharks forward Joel Ward played his 600th NHL game.

What's next

Sharks: At the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; ROOT, CSN-CA, NHL-TV).
Islanders: Home against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MSG+, FS-A, NHL-TV).