The 6-game, 11 day road trip came to an end on Saturday afternoon in Boston as the Sharks fell short in a wide-open 10-goal game at TD Garden. San Jose secured 7 of 12 points on their trip, but they may be kicking themselves for not grabbing the extra 2 in Boston. After falling to Boston 6-3 at SAP Center on October 13th San Jose found a way to grab a 3rd period lead on Saturday night, but they allowed Boston to score 4 goals in the final 11 minutes of the game to deny the Sharks.

It was a far better performance than the loss San Jose suffered to Boston 11 days earlier, but playoff spots aren't awarded for close losses.

San Jose still has two things to address. Answering the bell in this one was a problem and holding 3rd period leads still an issue. This was another opportunity that they allowed to slip through their fingers because they haven't learned how to lock down opposing teams.

The Bruins came out of the gate with all cylinders firing. They buzzed the Sharks net and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, which ended with a Casey Mittelstadt goal 3:08 into the game. The Sharks were guilty of puck watching as it found it's way through the crease twice before Middelstadt finally pushed it home from the right side.

Mason Marchment had a scoring chance denied by goaltender Jeremy Swayman 90 seconds later, but Morgan Geekie tried to disrupt the attempt with a slash across the Shark forward's right thigh.

San Jose put the man advantage to good use. Michael Misa potted his 2nd goal of the season at 5:54. Tyler Toffoli was awarded with the primary assist with Jacob Trouba credited with the secondary helper. Misa used some handy stick work to pull the puck around the left post and into the goal with Sawyman tied up on the right side.

The Sharks dictated play the remainder of the period. They would misfire on a 2nd power play opportunity, but the puck spent the majority of the period in the Bruins zone for the remainder of the frame.

Macklin Celebrini setup Collin Graf with a golden opportunity after intercepting a puck behind the Bruins net. Celebrini feathered the puck out to the front of the net, but Graf didn't have his stick on the ice, allowing the puck to skitter past him.

The Bruins opened the 2nd period the same way they did the period prior, by playing an up-tempo pace that had the Sharks on their heels. Much like their first goal, Boston caught the Sharks staring at the puck rather than squaring up bodies in front of the net. Marat Khusnutdinov grabbed a pin-balling puck at the top of the crease and lifted a backhand chance that found the upper right corner of the net.

The penalties started to pile up for San Jose after Marchment was called for interference at 10:40. San Jose killed that penalty, but Dmitry Orlov was whistled for tripping right after Marchment stepped back out on the ice.

Kiefer Sherwood turned the tables on Boston while San Jose was killing the Orlov penalty. Facing Elias Lindholm at the Bruins blueline, Sherwood, poked at a pass attempt by Lindholm, forcing a turnover. The Sharks forward then raced into the Boston zone before snapping a shot past Swayman to tie the game at 2-2.

Things got chippy later in the period when Mark Kastelic hit Michael Kesselring in the numbers, sending him dangerously into the end boards. Kesselring immediately got up and dropped the gloves with Kastelic. Each drew 5 for fighting, which Kesselring earning a roughing minor and Kastelic taking a boarding minor.

A Lindolm slashing penalty put the Sharks on their 4th power play of the night at 3:13 of the 3rd period. Orlov fired a shot at 4:03 that evaded Swayman to give the Sharks their first lead of the night. Macklin Celebrini distracted Swayman out in front of the net, providing a screen on the play.

Bruins captain David Pastrnak was called for tripping at 6:19 of the period, but San Jose could not convert a 3rd power play goal of the night. To make things worse, Pastrnal stepped out of the box, received a JJ Peterka pass and rifled a shot past Nedelkovic to tie the game.

The Sharks defense went into preservation move on the next shift, allowing the Bruins to force the matter in tight and score 36 seconds later.

This time it was Hagens who slid the puck past Nedeljkovic to make it a 4-3 Bruins lead. Nolan Allan added insult and injury by cutting Morgan Geekie to take a 4-minute double minor.

Boston converted on the power play when Fraser Minten bagged his 5th of the season at the 12 minute mark to pad Boston's lead at 2-goals.

Hagens was called for tripping with Allan serving the second half of his double minor. Will Smith gave the Sharks life by scoring his 4th of the season at 12:27. Celebrini setup the goal by skating the puck around the perimeter before dropping it to Trouba on the left side. The Sharks defenseman saw Smith on the far side, making the feed for Smith who would put it past Swayman to make it a 5-4 game.

Smith just missed tying the game on a golden chance with 4 minutes to play. Celebrini set him up with a pretty feed as the forward cut to the net but Swayman got his right pad in front of Smith's backhand shot attempt from the doorstep

San Jose pulled Nedeljkovic with 1:45 to play. That would prove fruitless as Will Borgen potted an emptynet goal to cap the scoring.

Game Notes:

* Igor Chernyshov was one of 3 Sharks scratches, but he wasn't even in the building. The Sharks sent the young Russian forward home after he suffered an upper body injury against Ottawa. Chernyshov was hit in the chest trying to block a shot.

* San Jose also scratched Alexander Wennberg for the 3rd straight game as he nurses a lower body injury. Luca Cagnoni was the only healthy scratch.

* Adam Gaudette made his season debut after the injuries to Wennberg and Chernyshov, He was injured in training camp and missed the first 4 games while on the injured reserve. He has been a healthy scratch for the previous 7 games.

* Kiefer Sherwood's short-handed goal in the 2nd period was the Sharks 5th of the season. They had 2 all last season.

* San Jose has another 6-game road trip in their future. They will play mostly teams in the middle of North America in March. They also have two 5-game road trips on the schedule. One in late November/early December and one to close out February.