The hockey education of James Hagens continued in the Bruins’ 6-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and he’s proving to be a very apt pupil.

The Sharks have a ton of young talent but Hagens took a backseat to no one. He assisted on Casey Mittelstadt’s first goal of the game and then gave the Bruins the lead in the third period after the team fell behind. And throughout the game, the rookie was part of the line with veterans Mittelstadt and Elias Lindholm that was tasked with shutting down the potent Macklin Celebrini line, which pretty much happened at 5-on-5.

“It’s awesome. He’s hilarious,” said Mittelstadt of his young linemate. “That was a huge goal and you can definitely see the type of player he is and it’s been a blast playing with him. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

The goal Hagens scored was not his first Garden goal for the Bruins, but it felt like it. It’s the first one that mattered. He had scored in the B’s worst game of a season, a 4-1 loss to Ottawa with his goal coming when the B’s were down 4-0 in the third.

His tally on Saturday came in a wild third period and, though it didn’t hold up as the game-winner, it gave the B’s a lead they’d never relinquish.

The crowd pop left an impression.

“It’s crazy how the crowd was. It was super cool feeling. It’s something I’ll be able to remember for the rest of my career and the rest of my life,” Hagens said.

Hagens has a terrific shot, one that he showed off in the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo back in September when he scored six goals in two games. But like other goals he’s scored this year, this one came at the top of the crease. Off a faceoff win, he dished it down low to Lindholm and then followed up the rebound, jamming it through Alex Nedeljkovic.

He now has 4-5-9 totals and is plus-5 on the season.

“It’s impressive,” Bruins captain David Pastrnak said. “He’s got the touch and he’s been there around it the whole time and he’s been productive. It’s fun to watch him every game and seeing him get more comfortable. He’s a great player. He scored a big goal and he’s fun to watch.

“He’s smart. He’s not a big guy but for his age he’s very smart around the net and even the goal in Dallas, that was even more impressive than today, outmuscling (Miro Heiskanen). It’s fun to watch him every game being more comfortable. It’s up to us to push him and be here for him and help him every day.”

What is perhaps been even more impressive is the fact coach Marco Sturm has entrusted him to play on what has become the club’s checking line. As Mittelstadt pointed out, Lindholm (15-6 in the faceoff dot on Saturday) does a lot of the heavy lifting but neither of the wings can be passengers.

The line set the tone right away against the Celebrini line, dominating a shift down low until Mittelstadt found the back of the net just 3:08 into the game.

“I think it’s just being prepared at the puck drop,” said Hagens, the 2025 seventh overall pick. “Those are great players and if you’re not ready, they’ll be able to go down and put it in the back of your net. You just have to make sure that you’re ready to show up at the start of the game.”

And Hagens is relishing the nightly challenges.

“It’s special,” he said. “It’s a great feeling to be out there and trying to stop those guys from scoring. You want to do your best, you want to win your games and, if that’s your role, you’ve got to be able to go out there and do it. It’s definitely cool. These players, I grew up watching, especially last year when I was in college. I was watching these guys when they were out there and we’re trying to stop them all night.”

As a high draft pick, Hagens didn’t have to work hard to become a fan favorite, at least at the moment. But he’s earning the respect of the veterans as well.

He’s going to the blue paint, he’s working to shut down top lines and he even went into the game leading all NHL forwards in blocked shots with 16. Alas, he was shut out in that department, but he found other ways to contribute.

“As a player, you see the skill and the shot definitely stands out to me but I feel like he’s done a heck of a job on the forecheck. I feel like he’s taking pucks away all the time,” Mittelstadt said. “That’s not easy to do as a young kid. But other than (that), he’s got a positive personality and he’s having fun, laughing on the bench. I enjoy that and it’s been a pleasure.”