Macklin Celebrini scored for the Sharks (18-41-9), who are 3-4-0 in their past seven. Alexandar Georgiev allowed three goals on 17 shots before being pulled after the first period. Romanov made nine saves on 11 shots in relief.
"I didn't like our start. I thought we got going there a little bit, competing harder in the second," San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "I think we had some good pushes in the third, actually, before we scored. The fourth goal was a backbreaker."
Dylan Strome put the Capitals ahead 1-0 at 7:33 of the first period. Ovechkin passed the puck from the right boards to Strome, who was all alone in front and beat Georgiev's blocker with a wrist shot.
Aliaksei Protas extended the lead to 2-0 at 17:26. After a scramble in front of the net, Protas found the loose puck and lifted a backhand past the glove of Georgiev.
Taylor Raddysh made it 3-0 at 18:55 with a wrist shot from the right circle.
Celebrini made it 3-1 at 6:19 of the third period. Tyler Toffoli got the puck along the right boards and fed a backhand pass to Celebrini in the slot. He collected the puck and shot it over Thompson's glove from in close.
"I think we were just inconsistent with our game," Toffoli said. "We started to turn it on in the second a little bit, and in the third. When you're down three goals, it's hard to come back."
Trevor van Riemsdyk made it 4-1 40 seconds later when he banked a shot off the back of Romanov from behind the net. It was his first goal since March 9, 2023.
"[That felt] pretty good. It has been a long time," van Riemsdyk said. "I was shocked when I saw it, so when I rounded the net I saw it was behind his foot there. It was a fortunate bounce, but at this point, I'll take anything."
NOTES: Romanov, an undrafted 25-year-old netminder who entered in relief for his third NHL game (all in relief), became the 217th different goaltender Ovechkin has faced in the regular season. He also became the 182nd Ovechkin has scored against, which is the most in NHL history. ... On the third anniversary of when he passed Jaromir Jagr (766) for sole possession of third place on the all-time NHL goals list, Ovechkin scored career goal 887 against the Sharks – the same team Wayne Gretzky faced when he tied Gordie Howe’s NHL goals record in 1994 – to move eight goals shy of a new League benchmark. ... The Capitals closed their three-game California road trip by improving to 23-8-2 as visitors this season (including 10-2-2 in 14 road contests since Jan. 1). Washington’s .727 points percentage on the road leads the NHL this season.
