Luke Kunin delivered a crucial power-play goal in the third period, propelling the San Jose Sharks to a 2-1 win against the Washington Capitals. Mackenzie Blackwood’s impressive 33 saves contributed significantly to the Sharks’ victory on Monday night. Kunin, scoring his fifth season goal, capitalized on Justin Bailey’s assist, marking Bailey’s impactful debut with the Sharks. The team, missing point leader Tomás Hertl due to injury, achieved their second back-to-back win of the season and gathered points in three consecutive games, setting a positive tone for their upcoming six-game East Coast tour.
Fabian Zetterlund opened the scoring for the Sharks, his sixth goal tying him with Mike Hoffman for the team lead. Coach David Quinn praised the team’s resilience and progress, acknowledging their hard-fought recent performances.
As reported by AP News, the Capitals, despite Evgeny Kuznetsov’s equalizing goal and goalie Darcy Kuemper’s 21 saves, faced their second consecutive loss after a five-game winning streak. Their struggle was evident in their faltering power play, failing to convert in their last 31 attempts over 11 games, despite having the NHL’s top power-play goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin. Capitals coach Spencer Carbery and player Tom Wilson expressed frustration over their inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
The Capitals’ defense saw a boost with Martin Fehervary’s return from injured reserve, completing their top six pairings for the first time this season. However, the Sharks also faced challenges with Filip Zadina joining Hertl on the injured reserve.