Minten Scores Twice in Bruins’ 6-3 Win Over Sharks

SAN JOSE –– When asked what he has learned about consistency in the NHL, Fraser Minten had a short answer.

“It’s difficult,” he said. “Work in progress.”

​The 22-year-old forward has seemingly been a quick study. Minten, who now leads the Boston Bruins with four goals, scored twice in the team’s 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday at SAP Center. It came after Minten logged three points on Saturday, too.

“The way he plays and thinks the game is very impressive at his age. We try to push him every day,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “It always goes back to being at the right spot at the right time. I think that is it. Playing so smart, I think he’s going to get the opportunities. And right now, they go in. The complete game he plays right now – that’s the most important thing.”

Minten opened the production for the Bruins in the first period. Nikita Zadorov settled the puck in the neutral zone and chipped it over to Casey Mittelstadt, who carried it below the goal line before hitting an on-the-go Minten up top for the 1-0 lead at 12:55. It extended Mittelstadt’s point streak to three games; he has two goals and one assist through that stretch.

“Shot from the slot, and traffic and coming off the bench, you’re kind of lost,” Minten said. “So just tried to get it on and off the stick as quick as I could.”

Jacob Trouba tied things 1-1 at 15:29 with a slapshot, but the Bruins responded by the end of the period.

It did not take long for Charlie McAvoy to get back to his game. The alternate captain, who made his season debut after serving a six-game suspension, cashed in off a gritty shift from him, his defensive partner Hampus Lindholm, and the second line of Minten, Marat Khusnutdinov and JJ Peterka.

The B’s maintained possession as McAvoy poke-checked the puck away from a Shark. Peterka gathered it by the left post and zipped it in front for McAvoy to knock in at 18:43. It was Peterka’s third assist in two games, and a welcome return for No. 73.

“That was nice. I thought that was a big-boy shift. We were trying to hold onto the puck – something that we had talked about before the game. Them being a man-on-man team, just to try to break them down and hold onto the puck,” McAvoy said. “It was a good shift, and then that was just a great pass by JJ. Was really happy to be on the other side of that and be able to contribute in my first game back.”

McAvoy was all smiles heading to the bench to fist-bump his teammates.

“I was actually a little worried because he was so excited. It was almost like, hopefully he’s not too excited. But the way he played was unbelievable,” Sturm said. “Very calm, in control all the time, making plays, always there at the right spot. We’re just very lucky to have him. The way he played today was pretty impressive.”

The Sharks found the 2-2 equalizer to open the second with a power-play tally from Ivar Stenberg. The B’s, nonetheless, took a 4-2 advantage into the third period.

Morgan Geekie dumped it into the zone, and Mark Kastelic got to work behind the net, popping the puck out to Matt Poitras, who was stationed beside the crease for the quick tap-in at 8:42. Poitras collected his second goal in four games, while Kastelic earned his fifth point of the year.

Pavel Zacha beat the buzzer to put Boston up 4-2 with three seconds remaining in the middle frame. Geekie, who picked up his second assist of the night on the play, broke out on a 2-on-1 with Zacha, dishing it to him above the left circle for the wrister. It was Zacha’s second goal in two games and extended his point streak to three games.

Macklin Celebrini pulled San Jose within one, 4-3, at 5:04 with a power-play goal. Minten’s second of the night, though, made it 5-3 at 11:47. The second line dashed into the zone with Mason Lohrei trailing. Peterka pushed it up to Lohrei in the slot, before Khusnutdinov got it down low for a primary assist on Minten’s tip-in shot. That’s five points in two games for Minten.

​“He was already amazing last year, and we saw glimpses of what he could be in the future,” McAvoy said of Minten. “I think the way that he plays is just so mature, that that’s a way in which he can lead. In the third period, it’s a little hectic early; we take a penalty and we weren’t handling the puck the way that we needed to. And he’s a guy that you can grab, and you know that he will do the next right thing when he gets it, and then we can try to tip it back in our favor. We are going to lean on him a lot. He’s a great two-way player and a big part of what we’re trying to build here.”

Will Borgen’s empty-net goal at 18:18 brought the contest to its final 6-3 standing.

The Bruins continue their West Coast road trip with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday at the Honda Center.

“We’ll definitely take the two points. It’s probably not our best game – there were a few too many turnovers and a little bit sloppy – but we found a way to win a hockey game,” Sturm said. “That’s important, too. That’s what good teams do is find ways to close out, especially on the road.”