The Bruins' 4-2-0 start comes in 2 halves. First came back-to-back 1-4 losses to Minnesota and Ottawa, when the offense went missing. Then came the 6-1 win over Utah and the 5-1 win over the Flyers. Those wins came at TD Garden, though. Tuesday is a cross-country trip and an 8:00 PM PT puck drop at SAP Center, which is a different test from beating a winless Philadelphia team on a Saturday afternoon.
The Sharks' 3-2-0 record looks better than their margins. All 3 wins were by 1 goal: 4-3 over Florida, 5-4 over the Kings and 3-2 in St. Louis. Their 2 losses were a 0-5 shutout in Dallas and the 3-1 loss to Edmonton, where the late push that had bailed them out before never showed up. A team that keeps winning 1-goal games is either clutch or getting away with something, and a Bruins team scoring 5 or 6 a night is a good way to find out which.
The matchup comes down to whether San Jose's top line can carry the night. Celebrini is back, and the Sharks need him driving play, because their depth is already stretched by the IR list. Boston's case is balance plus Swayman, who has hardly been tested lately but has the résumé when he is. If Boston's attack carries over from the Garden, San Jose will need another close finish to win it.