The Islanders were defeated by the Sharks 3-1 Saturday night at HP Pavilion. Logan Couture scored the game-winner with 8:10 left in regulation. James Sheppard added an insurance marker with 4:25 remaining to put it away.

It was the Islanders’ third straight loss. After a perfect 4-0-0 start, they’ve dropped five of seven. On a five-game road trip, they’ve been outscored 8-1. Offense has dried up. Kyle Okposo was the lone goalscorer in a game that saw the Isles outshot 31-20. Okposo’s goal was a beautiful move and sweet finish giving his team their only lead in the first period. Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk assisted.

A hi-sticking minor penalty on Ryan Strome allowed the Sharks to draw even. On somewhat of a broken play, Tomas Hertl was the beneficiary of a Tommy Wingels deflected pass that came right to him for an easy finish. Matt Nieto got the other assist.

If not for Jaroslav Halak, it could’ve been ugly. The Sharks peppered him throughout including 17 shots in a busy first. Halak had struggled coming in but was outstanding finishing with 28 saves. He stoned Joe Pavelski twice in the second to keep the game tied. The difference was the San Jose offense. Throughout, they controlled the puck and forechecked. Joe Thornton created some tough chances and forced Halak into a difficult glove stop with under 13 seconds left in the second.

With the game still tied, Couture neatly redirected a Justin Braun wide shot inside the crossbar. Marc-Edouard Vlasic moved the puck to Braun at the right point. He let go of a shot which Couture was somehow able to deflect past Halak. With over four minutes to go, San Jose took advantage of a neutral zone turnover. Andrew Desjardins and Adam Burish combined to set up a wide open Sheppard for a gimme at 15:35 to put it out of reach.

A positive for the Islanders was the play of Halak, who finally looked like the goalie Garth Snow traded for and signed. He wasn’t to blame on any goal and made the big saves to give his team a chance. Top defenseman Travis Hamonic also returned after missing four games. He hit the post on one opportunity. Paired with Lubomir Visnovsky, Hamonic took 24 shifts logging 22:00 with three blocked shots and a minus-one rating. With him back, that should aid the blueline. It allows Calvin de Haan to play third pair with Thomas Hickey.

The concern for the Isles is John Tavares’ play has slipped. After starting on fire with nine points (2-7-9) in the club’s first four- all wins- he’s 2-1-3 and minus-five over the last seven. Not coincidentally, the team’s record is 2-5-0. When the Islanders captain isn’t going, others must pick it up. Snow brought in Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolay Kulemin to provide offense. While Grabovski’s done his part with six points (3-3-6) in eight games, Kulemin has a goal and five helpers but nothing over the past three. Most notably, he got a boarding major and game misconduct that led to two Winnipeg power play goals in a frustrating 4-3 home loss.

The Islanders are missing Josh Bailey, who’s missed the last four with a broken hand. Off to a good start with two goals and two helpers, he’s looking to return in a week. Penalty killing ace and speed demon Michael Grabner is still recovering from sports hernia surgery. Unsurprisingly, Cory Conacher has one goal and one assist so far. He’s not dependable. Most of the offense has been supplied by Tavares, Okposo, Brock Nelson and Frans Nielsen. Boychuk and Leddy have also contributed from the back end.

In 11 games, Strome has seven assists but is still without a goal. They haven’t gotten much from bruisers Cal Clutterbuck or Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas is without a point so far. Coach Jack Capuano needs more from his supporting cast. Strome and Anders Lee are likely candidates.

The Islanders (6-5-0) are off until Wednesday when they visit Anaheim. That’s followed by a tough back-to-back at Stanley Cup champ Los Angeles. They’ll conclude the Western road swing at Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 8.