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.

The B’s found themselves in a tie game in the third period with the Sharks, who possess some of the best young talent in the league but still lack the depth that can make them anything more than the 31st-best team in the NHL.

With Brad Marchand in the penalty box, the Sharks were making their push. Korpisalo had already made one very good save, but it looked like Collin Graf had the equalizer on his stick in the low slot. But while on his backside, Korpisalo managed to get a glove on Graf’s shot. The B’s cleared the puck and eventually Charlie Coyle got the game-winner in the 6-3 victory.

“He made some huge saves in the third period,” said coach Joe Sacco. “He kept us in the game there. He has not played in a while, so in fairness to Korpy, you’re trying to find your timing and you’re fighting though traffic. It’s not the same as in practice. You just don’t get those kind of looks. I really credit him for his perseverance today. He dug in there, especially in the end, kept us in the game and allowed us to come back in the third period.”

Korpisalo had not played in 15 days and it showed at first.

“A lot of rust. All those goals were pretty soft. But I think the third period I got there with my game and the guys took care of the rest,” said Korpisalo.

Korpisalo (25 stops) didn’t make all the saves. Lexington’s Will Smith’s goal n the second period was one he should have had. But he made the most timely one on Graf.

“It was full scramble mode,” said Korpisalo. “I knew the puck was going to bounce behind the net back door and I threw my leg out there. Just battling. We did a great job after that. Scored the goal and held onto the lead.”

With three games in four days this week, with the third being a matinee against Colorado on Saturday, there’s a decent chance he won’t sit as long as he did on his last hiatus. That should help Korpisalo in his next time out.

“When you practice, you kind of know what’s coming, right? In a game, it’s uncontrollable. You make those reads and react to it. It’s a little different. But I kind of got there in the end,” said Korpisalo….

The Bruins lost a beloved member of their family on Monday with the passing of long-time scout Tommy McVie at the age of 89. With his trademark bullhorn voice, there wasn’t a rink across North America that McVie wasn’t known.

McVie was a head coach with the Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets and New Jersey Devils and was on Brian Suttter’s Bruins’ staff in the early 90s. Among his minor league stops were the Maine Mariners and Providence Bruins.

“The entire Boston Bruins organization is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tom McVie,” said team president Cam Neely in a statement. “Tom was a huge part of our Bruins family, having served as a coach, scout and ambassador for more than 30 years. His hockey mind, colorful personality, gruff voice, and unmatched sense of humor livened up every room he entered and will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom’s family and many loved ones.”

McVie was a true character of the game, in the best sense of the word,

Said Sacco: “Everyone who had the chance to meet him, you’ll never forget who he was. He was a great man.”….

The B’s managed to keep Macklin Celebrini off the board but the 18-year-old still found a way to impress. He won 12-of-17 faceoffs and delivered a reverse hit that flattened the rugged Mark Kastelic.

Celebrini has a big fan club, and you can count fellow former Boston University Terrier Sacco as a member

“One thing that stands out is his competitiveness,” said Sacco, giving a nod to his alma mater and BU coach Jay Pandolfo. “He’s really hard on pucks for a young player and he wins a lot of battles. You have that combined with his skill set…he can one-time the puck, he gets his shot off, he’s got a really good release as well when he doesn’t one-time it. He’s a young, competitive player who’s finding his way in the league pretty quickly.”….

Trent Frederic was a scratch due to illness, allowing Oliver Wahlstrom to draw back into the lineup after being a scratch the previous two games. Wahlstrom picked up assist…

The B’s allowed 28 shots, snapping their streak of giving up 40-plus shots at three games…

The Bruins are holding their scouting meetings this week. With team president Cam Neely’s declaration that the team must prepare for “two paths” last week, one of which would be a retool, the work of the pro and amateur scouting department could be even more vital for the team’s future this year than it usually is.