BOSTON — Will Smith had a statement game. If you’re one of the many who thought he should be in the AHL — one of those who believed he wasn’t getting better in the NHL? Smith responded with a goal and an assist in the Sharks’ 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins.

San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund (lower body) will be in the lineup on Monday versus Boston. It was unclear if Granlund would be available for the contest after he sat out Sunday's practice with a lower-body injury.

With the Sharks trailing 2-1 midway through the second period, Smith poked the puck off the stick of Jonathan Beecher to himself in the neutral zone, worked a give-and-go with Mikael Granlund, and beat Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo with a wrist shot to the short side.

BOSTON — Will Smith had a statement game. If you’re one of the many who thought he should be in the AHL — one of those who believed he wasn’t getting better in the NHL? Smith responded with a goal and an assist in the San Jose Sharks’ 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins.

Will Smith is still Will Smith. He’s still making plays that only Will Smith can make, a good sign halfway through a decidedly up-and-down campaign for the 19-year-old rookie. This play was a bright spot in the San Jose Sharks’ 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders.

It looks like Will Smith has worked his way from getting benched to the first line. Smith skated with center Mikael Granlund and winger Fabian Zetterlund this morning at UBS Arena, before the San Jose Sharks take on the New York Islanders tonight.

With the calendar flipped to January, all NHL eyes shift to the March 7th trade deadline, where players like San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund could be at the forefront of trade rumors.

Benching Will Smith is part of the process. That’s how San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky looks at it. On Saturday, in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, the top prospect was sat late in the second period.

Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

The Boston Bruins came back in the third period to score four unanswered goals, led by Charlie Coyle’s tying and go-ahead goal, for a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks at the TD Garden Monday afternoon.

BOSTON -- Charlie Coyle scored twice in the third period, and the Boston Bruins rallied for a 6-3 win against the San Jose Sharks at TD Garden on Monday. Coyle, who also had an assist, ended a 10-game drought at 8:22 to tie it 3-3, then gave Boston a 4-3 lead at 14:11.

Joonas Korpisalo readily admitted that he wasn’t at his best all day on Monday. But given the opportunity to preserve a win for the Bruins against the San Jose Sharks, the netminder showed up at the right time.