~AP Photo/Nick Wass

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ If their Election Day performance is a sign of things to come, San Jose is headed in the right direction, as they shutout the Washington Capitals Tuesday, 3-0.

The Sharks not only ended their three-game losing streak, during which they experienced their most lopsided loss of the season. They ended Washington’s five-game win streak, during which the Capitals averaged three goals.

San Jose goalie Martin Jones recovered from Sunday’s 5-0 loss with his first shutout and Washington’s first blanking. Jones made 24 saves, with two of them against Alex Ovechkin in the third with the Sharks a man down.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic had the game winner, breaking a five-game goal drought. Initially credited to former Capital Joel Ward, Vlasic’s second goal of the season gave Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton their ninth assist at 12:23 of the second.

Just over five minutes later, Brent Burns added an insurance goal with a shot from the left faceoff circle. Logan Couture and Paul Martin helped on the play.

10 of San Jose’s 21 blocks occurred in the third as the Sharks killed off two penalties. During the latter penalty, Jones stopped two other shots besides Ovechkin’s two shots.

With 1:32 left, Thornton got his second empty netter with his second goal and Ward got his first assist.

Game notes: San Jose’s Matt Nieto and Michael Haley were absent from the lineup as Kevin Labanc made his NHL debut. He had a snap shot almost five minutes into the game. Ovechkin had a game-high six shots while Ovechkin, teammate Justin Williams and the Sharks’ Logan Couture each had a game-high four shots. San Jose will now go to Florida Thursday at 5:30pm.