Eklund, Sharks hand Bruins 1st home loss since December

BOSTON -- William Eklund scored a highlight-reel goal in the third period and also had an assist for the San Jose Sharks, who handed the Boston Bruins their first home loss since December with a 4-2 win at TD Garden on Thursday.

Eklund made it 4-0 at 8:20 of the third period. He received a stretch pass from Sam Dickinson and cut inside on Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke while charging toward the net. His initial shot was then stopped by the right pad of Jeremy Swayman, but while he was falling to the ice, Eklund was able to bat the puck out of the air and just under the crossbar.

“It’s huge,” Eklund said of the victory. “It’s a tight race and we know that. We’re trying for a playoff spot and every point matters.”

Eklund was a game-time decision due to a lower-body injury but said he wasn’t going to miss this game.

“It’s going to be like that during the season and you’ve got to play through stuff,” he said. “You’re not going to feel 100 percent every night. You’ve just got to push through it.”

Michael Misa and Tyler Toffoli also had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (31-26-6), who had lost three in a row (0-1-2). Alex Nedeljkovic made 39 saves.

“I felt really good,” Nedeljkovic said. “I felt like I was seeing the puck good. Things were pretty clear out there. We were doing a good job of keeping guys out of the way early on, and if there was a rebound, we did a good job of tying up sticks or just clearing pucks right away. We were pretty solid in our own end for most of the night.”

David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist, and Fraser Minten also scored for the Bruins (36-23-6), who hadn't lost at home since Dec. 23 (13 straight wins). Swayman made 24 saves.

“We played pretty good hockey and created enough to win tonight, but their goalie did a good job,” Boston defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. “We could have done a little better job going to those hard areas, providing screens for each other. We played some good hockey and deserved to score some more goals. We obviously don’t want to let in four goals because it’s hard to come back. We had a late comeback, but it’s hard when you’re down four.”

Misa gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 5:57 of the first period. After receiving a lead pass from Toffoli at the blue line, Misa left a drop pass for Eklund in the high slot and skated toward the left post, where he tapped in the return feed on the give-and-go.

Toffoli made it 2-0 with power-play goal at 14:15 of the second period. Macklin Celebrini fanned on a one-timer from the top of the right circle, but he quickly regained control and got off a wrist shot that deflected in off Toffoli at the left post.

Collin Graf scored a short-handed goal to extend the lead to 3-0 at 3:13 of the third period. He skated into Alexander Wennberg's chip into the neutral zone and beat Swayman glove side on a breakaway.

“I wasn’t calling for it,” Graf said. “It was a great battle by him and it was a calculated risk, trying to take a chance. I had faith he would win the battle. He had good positioning, so I just tried to get out of the zone as quickly as I could.”

Minten scored 10 seconds after Eklund's highlight-reel goal to cut Boston’s deficit to 4-1. He located a loose puck in the high slot and took an off-balance shot that deflected five-hole off the skate of John Klingberg at 8:30.

“It’s tough to be down 4-0, and today wasn’t our day,” Bruins forward Elias Lindholm said. “We created some chances but it was too late.”

With Swayman pulled for the extra attacker, Pastrnak beat Nedeljkovic to the far post with a one-timer from above the left circle to make it 4-2 at 19:07.

“Their goalie was the best player on the ice today,” Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov said. “He made a couple of good saves, and we didn’t capitalize on our chances and they did on theirs, so that was the difference.”

NOTES: Prior to the game, the Sharks signed Kyle Chauvette to an amateur tryout to serve as the emergency backup goalie. He was on the bench in place of Yaroslav Askarov, who tweaked a lower-body injury during the morning skate and was not available. Chauvette, 24, is a senior at the University of New Hampshire and learned of the news after he completed an economics exam. ... Boston has allowed eight short-handed goals this season.