SAN JOSE, Calif. _ The Sharks generated a handful of scoring chances Saturday afternoon but couldn't solve goalie Philipp Grubauer, who made 24 saves to help the Washington Capitals earn a 2-0 win at SAP Center.
Nicklas Backstrom scored the game's winning goal as he took a pass from Brett Connolly and whistled a slap shot past Jones' right shoulder for a 1-0 Washington lead at the 18:32 mark of the third period.
Lars Eller scored an empty-net goal with 1:49 left in the third period, as the Sharks, with 81 points, remained one point up on Anaheim for second place in the Pacific Division.
The Sharks put nine shots on Grubauer in the third period, but were still shut out for the second time this season as they fell to 3-2 on their homestand, which wraps up Monday with a game against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Capitals' goal by Backstrom might not have withstood a video review.
Replays seemed to indicate that Andre Burakovsky had not fully exited the zone before Connolly brought the puck in over the Sharks' blue line. John Carlson picked off an errant Marc-Edouard Vlasic pass intended for Kevin Labanc and fed Connolly, who came in to the Sharks' zone and found an open Backstrom.
The Sharks did not challenge the play, though, and entered the third period down by one.
The Capitals controlled large portions of the second period, starting the middle stanza with an 11-1 edge in shots on goal. The Sharks managed just three shots on goal in the second period, and did not record a shot on goal in their one power play opportunity.
