Hometown Minten Scores Twice in Bruins OT Win Over Canucks 

VANCOUVER –– Fraser Minten celebrated in front of a crowd he was once part of.

The 21-year-old forward’s knock-in goal secured a 3-2 overtime win for the Boston Bruins against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

His second tally of the night put an exclamation point on Minten’s homecoming game. The Vancouver native played at Rogers Arena for the first time in his NHL career in front of more than 60 of his friends and family. And he delivered.

What would a younger Minten think of his two-goal showing against his childhood team?

“Wouldn’t believe it, probably,” he said. “Lots of happiness. Happy to win, happy to do it here. Just a good feeling.”

Minten now has four points in two games, and a night he will remember for the rest of his career.

“Can’t describe a better script,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “He’s a young kid growing up here just around the corner and begging for tickets just to see the Canucks play. And what a game he had today. Not just two goals, but overall, just very happy for him and his family.”

Before Minten won the game for the Bruins, he opened scoring in the first period. Alex Steeves pushed the puck over to Minten in the slot, where he snapped it past Canucks netminder Kevin Lankinen for the power-play goal and 1-0 lead at 16:24.

Vancouver found the 1-1 equalizer 48 seconds into the middle frame with a deflected shot from Elias Pettersson, but Elias Lindholm struck back with the B’s second power-play goal of the night.

David Pastrnak sauced a cross-crease pass to Lindholm, who tipped it in from the right doorstep to make it 2-1 at 7:25. It was Lindholm’s third point and second goal in two games, along with Pastrnak’s fourth point in the same span.

The teams went into the third period tied 2-2 after Filip Hronek potted one on the man advantage at 18:44 of the second, which ultimately forced overtime. That is when Minten logged his eighth goal of the year in cinematic fashion, sending the B’s onto the ice to embrace the hometown hero.

“It’s excellent. He deserves every bit of it,” said Jeremy Swayman, who made 31 saves in his third consecutive start. “One of the hardest workers on the team. Plays the right way, carries himself the right way like a pro. It’s just awesome to see him get results like that. It’s expected now. He’s put himself in a position to be an elite player.”

The Bruins close out their road trip on Tuesday with a matchup against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.