SAN JOSE – The power play is alive, after all.
The Sharks scored a pair of goals with a man advantage in downing the NHL-leading Washington Capitals on Thursday at SAP Center, 4-2.
The score was knotted at 2-2 late in the second, but Chris Tierney drew a tripping minor on Beagle late in the frame to give the Sharks an advantage.
Six seconds after Joe Pavelski won an offensive zone draw and Brent Burns’ shot was stopped by Braden Holtby, Logan Couture found the rebound and whipped it high over the Caps’ goalie with 1:56 left in the middle frame to put the Sharks ahead to stay.
Couture got the second one, too, adding some insurance. He cut to the net and opened up the blade of his stick for Burns, who squarely hit it with a low laser for a redirection at 8:05 of the third period.
The Sharks had been 0-for-10 over their last four games on the power play, and just 2-for-23 over the previous nine.
San Jose (40-19-7, 87 points) secured a 40-win season for the 14th time since 2000-01, the most of any NHL team in that span.
The Sharks improved to 13-0-3 against the Capitals in the last 16 meetings in San Jose. They swept the two-game season series, including a 3-0 win at Verizon Center on Nov. 8.
Washington (44-15-7, 95 points) dropped to 5-4-1 since its bye week.
The Capitals took an early lead, when Daniel Winnik got loose in front of the net and backhanded in a slick feed from Beagle on the end wall at 5:26.
The Sharks responded three-and-a-half minutes later. Jannik Hansen, making his Sharks debut after a trade on Feb. 28, set up Joe Thornton for a one-timer at 8:43 after a nice play by Paul Martin to keep the play alive in the offensive zone.
A double-minor to Brooks Orpik late in the first carried over into the second. While Orpik was stepping out of the box as the extended power play expired, Burns’ low wrister was redirected by Pavelski in the slot at 2:32 to put San Jose ahead, 2-1.
The Caps tied it when Brett Connolly finished off a give-and-go with Kevin Shattenkirk at 14:40.
Burns finished with three assists.
San Jose was opening its longest homestand of the season (six games).
Special teams
The Sharks officially finished 2-for-5 on the power play. They scored multiple power play goals for just the fourth time this season, and the second time since Dec. 18.
Washington went 0-for-5, nearly tying the game early in the third period on a T.J. Oshie deflection that glanced off of the far post while Melker Karlsson was serving a slashing minor. San Jose had allowed one power play goal-against in each of its last four games.
In goal
Martin Jones improved to 4-0 in his career against Washington with 25 saves.
Holtby, a Vezina Trophy candidate, fell to 34-10-5 with four goals allowed on 24 shots. He’s 2-4-0 in his career when facing the Sharks, including two regulation losses this season.
Lineup
Kevin Labanc was reassigned to the AHL on Tuesday, while rookie Marcus Sorensen was a healthy scratch. David Schlemko missed his third straight game with a lower body injury, and is not yet skating again.
Thornton was honored before the game for scoring his 1,000th assist on Monday in Winnipeg.
Up next
The Sharks have a rare home back-to-back this weekend, hosting the Nashville Predators on Saturday afternoon and Dallas Stars on Sunday night.
San Jose downed P.K. Subban and the Preds in the only other previous meeting between the two on Oct. 29, 4-1.
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