WASHINGTON – William Eklund scored 39 seconds into overtime, Mackenzie Blackwood made a save 27 seconds in and the San Jose Sharks ended the Washington Capitals’ winning streak at four by defeating them 2-1 on Tuesday night.
The Capitals fell to 4-2-1 with captain and leading scorer Alex Ovechkin out with a broken left fibula. They fell behind early and failed to record a fifth straight comeback win, despite Logan Thompson making 29 saves and Nic Dowd scoring his seventh goal of the season.
On the other hand, Blackwood was dominant, thwarting good chances and keeping Washington off the field on three power plays. Tyler Toffoli scored with a minute left in the first period and the Sharks won for the third straight year.
Rookie Macklin Celebrini picked up the second assist on Eklund’s OT winner, extending his point streak to five games. The top pick in the draft scored four goals and four assists during this phase.
Sharks: They were far better prepared from the moment the puck dropped, and that paid off with Toffoli’s goal. Coach Ryan Warsofsky’s young, rebuilding team has picked up some good habits that should benefit them in the long run.
Capitals: On the positive side, they didn’t concede four or more goals like they did in the last three games. But they also lost their recent scoring spree as they failed to adapt to the shots, which Blackwood stopped with some ease.
With 2:17 left, Celebrini drew a 4-minute double minor penalty for a high stick on Tom Wilson to put the Sharks on the power play. That continued into overtime, with Eklund scoring a 4-on-3 lead.
The Sharks have won eight of their last 11 games in Washington.
The Sharks continue their road trip in Tampa Bay on Thursday, while the Capitals visit Toronto on Friday.
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