Three Storylines to Watch in Bruins at Sharks

Boston's road game against the Sharks on Tuesday night has the chance to mark multiple milestones for players on both teams.

Apr 28, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) takes a shot on goal during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Bruins begin their four-game road trip against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. 

While the Bruins are looking to extend their win streak to three games and the Sharks are looking to bounce back after a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, there are a few different storylines to follow including the return of a key veteran and multiple career and franchise milestones. 

Below are three storylines to watch in the contest.

Charlie McAvoy Returning From Suspension

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will make his season debut on Tuesday night after serving a six-game suspension for his slash on Sabres forward Zach Benson in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in May.

The penalty happened with less than two minutes to go in regulation. McAvoy was given a major penalty and a game misconduct. The Sabres went on to win 4-1 to advance to the second round of the playoffs and send the Bruins into the offseason. 

The league announced his suspension on May 12 and stated he would not be paid during the stretch. 

“Absolutely,” said Bruins head coach Marco Sturm on being excited to get McAvoy back. “I think we’ve done a really good job without him, but we also know we're better with him. So, it's nice to have him back. He's been very excited. He's been looking forward to it for a long time and yeah, it's going to be great.”

David Pastrnak Moving Up in All-Time Goals

Bruins forward and captain David Pastrnak has an opportunity to move his name up the franchise leaderboard.

Pastrnak entered the 2026-27 season three goals shy of moving into fourth place for Bruins all-time goals (422), which was held by Brad Marchand.

He tied Marchand’s record on Thursday night against the Utah Mammoth after scoring two goals in Boston’s 6-1 victory. He is one goal away from taking sole possession of fourth and five goals away from tying Patrice Bergeron who is in third with 427. 

Other Major Milestones Being Chased

Tuesday night’s game has the chance for multiple players to hit milestones on both teams. 

For the Bruins, forward Casey Mittelstadt is two scores away from 100 career goals and is currently on a scoring streak as he has scored in Boston’s last two games against the Mammoth and Flyers. 

Two other players join Pastrnak in closing in on franchise milestones. Forward Elias Lindholm is one point away from having 100 career points as a Bruin while goalie Jeremy Swayman is one win away from being eighth in franchise history. He is currently tied with Andy Moog for 136 career wins. 

On the Sharks, forward Mason Marchment is four goals away from 100 career goals.

The Bruins take on the Sharks at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., at 11 p.m. ET on NESN and ESPN.

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