Massachusetts native Collin Graf scored the eventual game-winning goal while short-handed, propelling the visiting San Jose Sharks to a 4-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
Michael Misa, Tyler Toffoli and William Eklund each logged a goal and an assist for San Jose, which improved to 4-1-2 in its last seven games and swept the season series. The loss also snapped the Bruins’ 13-game home win streak.
The Sharks held a 2-0 lead before closing out the victory with a pair of third-period goals in support of Alex Nedeljkovic (39 saves).
Nedeljkovic made double-digit stops in each period, including a game-high 14 in the first and third periods.
David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist, Fraser Minten also scored and Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who took their first regulation loss in a four-game span (2-0-1).
Boston had a 41-28 advantage in shots.
Boston generated the majority of high-quality chances in the first, with Pavel Zacha’s backhand feed off the wing setting up Casey Mittelstadt for a point-blank shot that Nedeljkovic saved at the 3:35 mark.
Despite the home team’s high pressure, Misa gave San Jose a 1-0 lead at 5:57. The rookie centerman teamed up with Eklund for a beautiful give-and-go and finished a shot into an open left side of the net.
San Jose picked up the offensive pace in the middle frame, but Swayman stood tall at 5:00 in to deny former Boston University star Macklin Celebrini’s partial breakaway down the slot.
As Nedeljkovic continued to shut out the Bruins, Celebrini helped the Sharks double their lead on the power play at 14:15. He whiffed on a one-timer, then stepped into the right circle to let a shot go that bounced off Toffoli at the crease and into the net.
The Bruins were unable to convert on an early third-period man advantage, and just 12 seconds into it, Alexander Wennberg sprung Graf for a short-handed breakaway at 3:13. The glove-side wrister made it a 3-0 game.
Eklund scored San Jose’s fourth goal at 8:20, cutting to the net off a 1-on-1 play against Boston defender Andrew Peeke and batting a rebound out of mid-air near the crease.
Just 10 seconds later, Minten broke Nedeljkovic’s shutout bid when he took a shot through traffic in the slot and snuck it five-hole.
With Swayman pulled, Pastrnak brought Boston within 4-2 with a one-time drive from the left side with 51.7 seconds remaining.
–Field Level Media
