SAP Center gets to dust off the ice after the Sharks wrapped up a season long 8-game road trip with a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon. San Jose took advantage of a Capitals team that went toe-to-toe with the Boston Bruins on Saturday, outworking Washington all three periods. Erik Karlsson scored a goal and added a pair of assists to push his point total to 73 this season.

Karlsson has been a an possessed this season. He coninues to pile to his point totals with muli-point games. He has 22 games this season with at least 2 points.

The Sharks won the opening period with a single goal, scored off the stick of Evgeny Svechnikov 2:54 into the game. Karlsson intercepted a Lars Eller pass in the neutral zone, chipping it to Jonah Gadjovich. Svechnikov gathered Gadjovich's lead pass on at the Washington blueline, then carried up the left side and snapped a shot from the bottom of the left circle. The shot beat Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren for Svechnikov's 5th goal of the season.

After beating the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Saturday, the Capitals showed a little weariness in the legs. Washington out-shot San Jose 9-7 in the opening period, but San Jose controlled the tempo for most of the period.

A Scott Harrington penalty for puck over glass setup a Washington power play that carried over to the 2nd period, but the Sharks evaded any damage.

An Aliaksei Protas tripping penalty setup the Sharks to score their second goal of the game midway through the 2nd period. Alexander Barabanov bagged his 9th of the season on a goal from the doorstep. Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson worked a tip play that resulted in a shot on goal from the inside of the left circle. Lindgren made the initial save, but Barabanov was lurking in the slot for the put-back.

The Capitals finally got to Kahkonen with 3:04 left in the period when Evgeny Kuznetsov raced around Scott Harrington on the right side than cut across the goal crease an slipped a shot past Kappo Kahkonen.

The Sharks goaltender was hit in the head by Kuznetsov on the goal play. He tried to stay in the game, but was called off the ice for an apparent concussion check. Aaron Dell was forced into net after being recalled a day earlier after James Reimer aggravated something.

Tomas Hertl, who has been mired in a 10-game goal drought, added an empty goal late to cap the scoring.

Game Notes:

* Timo Meier and Noah Gregor led the Sharks with 5 shots each. Mikey Eyssimont added 4 shots. San Jose out-shot Washington 33-21.

* Nico Sturm owned the faceoff circle, winning 13 of 15 draws (87%). San Jose won 30 of 48 draws (63%).

* Washington out-hit the Sharks 24-21. Noah Gregor had 5 hits in the contest.

* Aaron Dell's insertion into goal in the 2nd period marked his 3rd appearance for San Jose this season. He started for the Sharks at Toronto on November 30th and at Buffalo on December 4th. James Reimer was on the injured reserve at the time.

* The Sharks will return home where they will play 8 of their next 9 games at SAP Center. The only road game in that span comes on Thursday with a quick jaunt to Vegas. San Jose will play outside the Pacific time zone only 8 more times this season.