San Jose Sharks at Washington Capitals
NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Washington Capitals on Jan 16, 2026. Final score: San Jose Sharks 3, Washington Capitals 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 16, 2026 |
| Venue | Capital One Arena |
| San Jose Sharks score | 3 |
| Washington Capitals score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Pavol Regenda | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:46 | 0.20 | 1.99 |
| 2nd | Collin Graf | R | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:06 | 0.33 | 1.60 |
| 3rd | Macklin Celebrini | C | 0 | 1 | 6 | 25:07 | 0.44 | 1.41 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (San Jose Sharks–Washington Capitals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 10:58 | WSH | Dylan Strome | Alex Ovechkin, Jakob Chychrun | 5v4 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 13:27 | SJS | Zack Ostapchuk | Dmitry Orlov, William Eklund | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 14:53 | SJS | Collin Graf | Pavol Regenda | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 2nd 16:13 | SJS | Pavol Regenda | Macklin Celebrini, Collin Graf | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 3rd 09:11 | WSH | Ryan Leonard | John Carlson, Martin Fehérváry | 5v5 | 3–2 |
Team Comparison
| San Jose Sharks | Washington Capitals | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 23 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.86 | 2.93 |
| High-danger shots | 15 | 9 |
| Corsi % | 51.5% | 48.5% |
| Power play | 0/3 | 1/2 |
| Faceoff % | 58.3% | 41.7% |
| Hits | 16 | 18 |
| Blocks | 10 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 20 | 12 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 3 |
San Jose Sharks Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavol Regenda | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 13:46 | 0.20 | 1.99 |
| Collin Graf | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 20:06 | 0.33 | 1.60 |
| Macklin Celebrini | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 25:07 | 0.44 | 1.41 |
| Dmitry Orlov | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:25 | 0.00 | 1.35 |
| William Eklund | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:38 | 0.32 | 1.13 |
| Zack Ostapchuk | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10:54 | 0.34 | 1.10 |
| Timothy Liljegren | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:04 | 0.02 | 0.76 |
| Mario Ferraro | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19:32 | 0.15 | 0.73 |
| John Klingberg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:46 | 0.15 | 0.69 |
| Alexander Wennberg | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:06 | 0.16 | 0.47 |
| Tyler Toffoli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:46 | 0.00 | 0.21 |
| Ryan Reaves | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:21 | 0.00 | 0.19 |
| Adam Gaudette | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:28 | 0.33 | 0.15 |
| Igor Chernyshov | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:39 | 0.12 | 0.12 |
| Michael Misa | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:58 | 0.31 | -0.04 |
| Barclay Goodrow | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:33 | 0.05 | -0.12 |
| Vincent Iorio | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:56 | 0.05 | -0.48 |
| Sam Dickinson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:43 | 0.02 | -0.54 |
Washington Capitals Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Carlson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25:45 | 0.10 | 0.44 |
| Dylan McIlrath | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:05 | 0.00 | 0.41 |
| Ryan Leonard | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18:35 | 0.19 | 0.41 |
| Anthony Beauvillier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:24 | 0.62 | 0.38 |
| Alex Ovechkin | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:21 | 0.37 | 0.33 |
| Brett Leason | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:40 | 0.00 | 0.29 |
| Brandon Duhaime | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:26 | 0.01 | 0.19 |
| Connor McMichael | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:49 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
| Dylan Strome | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 22:19 | 0.32 | 0.10 |
| Rasmus Sandin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:35 | 0.02 | 0.06 |
| Nic Dowd | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:12 | 0.00 | 0.03 |
| Aliaksei Protas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21:34 | 0.15 | -0.02 |
| Martin Fehérváry | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17:29 | 0.00 | -0.07 |
| Hendrix Lapierre | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:30 | 0.00 | -0.24 |
| Sonny Milano | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:28 | 0.00 | -0.27 |
| Jakob Chychrun | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 28:19 | 0.10 | -0.27 |
| Ethen Frank | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:37 | 0.23 | -0.42 |
| Matt Roy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:51 | 0.10 | -0.58 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Nedeljkovic | San Jose Sharks | 21 | 23 | 91.3% | 0.71 | W |
| Logan Thompson | Washington Capitals | 23 | 26 | 88.5% | -0.13 | L |
Analysis
The San Jose Sharks defeated the Washington Capitals 3–2 on Jan 16, 2026, a one-goal game.
Washington Capitals generated 2.93 expected goals to San Jose Sharks's 2.86 — Washington Capitals owned the better of the chances but San Jose Sharks took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Pavol Regenda led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.99 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 shots on goal.
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 21 of 23, worth 0.71 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the San Jose Sharks vs Washington Capitals game?
The San Jose Sharks beat the Washington Capitals 3–2 on Jan 16, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was San Jose Sharks 3, Washington Capitals 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Pavol Regenda led all skaters at 1.99, on 1G, 1A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Washington Capitals generated 2.93 expected goals and San Jose Sharks generated 2.86, so Washington Capitals created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
San Jose Sharks put 26 shots on goal and Washington Capitals put 23. High-danger chances went 15 to 9.
How did the goaltenders play?
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 21 of 23 (0.71 goals saved above expected); Logan Thompson stopped 23 of 26 (-0.13 goals saved above expected).