Charlie McAvoy scored the overtime winner as the visiting Boston Bruins recovered after blowing a three-goal, first-period lead, tying the game late in regulation and then claiming a thrilling 6-5 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

McAvoy was the trailer on the rush when he was fed the puck in the slot and whipped home his fourth goal of the season with 61 seconds left in overtime.

Tuukka Rask made 33 saves for the Bruins, who have won six consecutive games. Jake DeBrusk had a goal and two assists for Boston, and David Krejci tallied three assists.

Joe Thornton had a hat trick for San Jose. Joe Pavelski added a goal and two assists, and Logan Couture compiled a goal and an assist.

Boston's Torey Krug opened the scoring with a power-play goal 13:49 into the contest, and then Zdeno Chara doubled the lead with a fluttering slap shot from the point that found the mark at 16:26. Karson Kuhlman, a free agent signee from University of Minnesota-Duluth, scored his first NHL goal in his second big-league game at 18:24.

But that just started the excitement. Thornton put the Sharks on the board with three seconds remaining in the first period, then Pavelski's redirect on the power play at 2:24 of the second period pulled San Jose back into the game.

DeBrusk restored Boston's two-goal edge with his fourth goal in as many games, another power-play marker at 6:30, but the Sharks drew even before the end of the second period. Thornton potted his second of the night with 3:57 remaining in the middle frame, and Couture converted on a penalty shot with 25 seconds left in the second period to make it a 4-4 affair.

The back-and-forth didn't end there. Thornton netted his third goal at 13:32 of the third period to give the Sharks a lead, his first hat trick in more than eight years. However, Chris Wagner replied with 1:49 remaining to force overtime -- a goal that stood even though it appeared Wagner played the puck with a high stick before he tallied.

Martin Jones stopped 14 shots for the Sharks, who are 7-1-1 in their past nine outings.

--Field Level Media