Joel Ward took a step into Verizon Center on Tuesday morning and found himself on the opposite side of the building.
Four years earlier, Ward learned the path from the players’ parking area to the Washington Capitals’ dressing room. Pass through the green-thatched fence to the elevator, hang a left once it stops on the event level and proceed beyond the wood paneling to the cinder-block walls striped in red and blue.
This time was different. Standing in the far garage, Ward had to follow the lead of San Jose Sharks teammate Tomas Hertl to the visitors’ dressing room.