The Bruins kept rolling Tuesday night, outlasting the San Jose Sharks 6-3 to stretch their win streak to three games and move to 5-2 on the season.
Boston had to wait a bit to get on the board for real. Mason Lohrei beat the Sharks at 9:33 of the first period, but the goal was waved off for goaltender interference and wasn’t challenged.
The Bruins didn’t let that slow them down for long. Fraser Minten opened the scoring at 12:55, finishing a play set up by Casey Mittelstadt and Nikita Zadorov.
San Jose answered quickly. Jacob Trouba tied it at 15:29, just two seconds after the Sharks came off a power play from a hooking call on Zadorov at 13:27.
But Boston didn’t let the period slip away. In his return after serving a six-game suspension, Charlie McAvoy restored the Bruins’ lead at 18:43 with an assist from JJ Peterka, sending Boston into the first intermission up 2-1.
The Sharks found another response early in the second. Ivar Stenberg scored on the power play at 5:48 to make it 2-2, with Macklin Celebrini and Dmitry Orlov earning assists. That goal came halfway through Zadorov’s penalty after he was called for tripping at 4:47.
Once again, the Bruins had an answer. Matthew Poitras pushed Boston back ahead 3-2 at 8:42, with Mark Kastelic and Morgan Geekie assisting.
Then, with seconds left in the period, Pavel Zacha buried another one at 19:57 to make it 4-2. Geekie and David Pastrnak set up that goal, giving Boston a two-goal cushion heading into the third.
San Jose made things interesting again less than five minutes into the final period. The Bruins were called for too many men on the ice, and Celebrini cashed in on the power play at 5:04 to cut the deficit to 4-3. Stenberg and Will Smith picked up the assists.
Minten answered for the second time on the night at 11:47, restoring Boston’s two-goal edge at 5-3. Marat Khusnutdinov and Lohrei were credited with the assists. Will Borgen sealed it with an empty-net goal at 18:18 to close out the 6-3 win.
The Bruins now head further along their West Coast trip, with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night. Puck drop is set for 10 p.m. ET on NESN and Prime Video.
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Mintens strong start has only sharpened that view in Boston, where Charlie McAvoy has already pointed to the way the young forward carries himself and the leadership qualities he brings. The Bruins have seen enough to believe there is real substance behind the upside, and with Minten continuing to settle in quickly, the trade is looking better for Boston for reasons that go beyond the draft pick attached to it. [Read more 🡒]