Toffoli gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 7:00 p.m. of the first period. Toffoli intercepted a pass from Rasmus Sandin at center ice, entered the offensive zone and fired a wrist shot from the top of the slot past Thompson.

“I think at the beginning of the game we couldn’t get pucks out and that was a problem and then we started getting pucks out and that caused them to have to run with us a little bit and that’s what it became rather up-and-coming game made. Down game,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said.

Dowd tied the score at 1-1 at 13:02 of the second period when he scored a one-timer from just outside the left circle off a pass from Martin Fehervary through the slot.

After Dowd’s goal, the Sharks outscored the Capitals 18-6 the remainder of the game, including 13-4 in the third period.

“I think we did a good job of trying to get the pucks to the net, but we weren’t able to get through the neutral zone and rely on the process of getting the “Getting pucks in and trying to get them back and do it again over and over again,” Dowd said.

NOTES: Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini had an assist to extend his point streak to five games (four goals, four assists). The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft was named the NHL’s first Star of the Week on Monday with four goals and three assists in four games.