SAN JOSE — The Washington Capitals picked an inappropriate time in the eyes of Sharks fans to start playing like the Stanley Cup champions again.
After a month of .500 hockey, the Capitals broke loose against the Sharks at SAP Center on Thursday, ending the home team’s six-game winning streak with a 5-1 win.
Over in the Eastern time zone, the Calgary Flames earned a point in a shootout loss to the Florida Panthers, pulling even with the Sharks atop the Pacific Division standings.
The Sharks opened the scoring at 2:06 when Kevin Labanc scored his fifth goal in three games by burying a Joe Thornton pass off the rush.