![\"Minten](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/CT3VIDTOTOMTTO5MFQVJQUVJTQ.jpg\")
Minten celebrates with his teammates after scoring against the Sharks during the third period.Jeff Chiu\/AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu<\/p>\n\u201cHe\u2019s definitely on his way. The way he plays and thinks the game is very impressive at his age,\u201d said coach Marco Sturm. \u201cWe try to push him every day, not just being a [specific] number [center] or a No. 1 center, no, just try the best he can. And it\u2019s just right now he\u2019s pretty fun to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Get Sports Alerts<\/p>\n
The latest sports news and Globe’s most interesting reporting and commentary right to your inbox.<\/p>\n
Minten celebrates with his teammates after scoring against the Sharks during the third period.Jeff Chiu\/AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu<\/p>\n
After excellent forecheck work by Elias Lindholm, the center went for a change and Minten hopped on, barreling down the slot and wristing a feed from Casey Mittelstadt over Yaroslav Askarov\u2019s blocker.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the traffic and coming off the bench, you\u2019re kind of lost,\u201d said Minten. \u201cSo, just try to get [the puck] on and off the stick as quick as I could.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the Bruins clinging to a 4-3 lead in the third \u2014 their fourth one-goal lead of the game \u2014 Minten squashed San Jose\u2019s comeback thoughts with his second of the night and fourth of the season.<\/p>\n
This time he finished off some nice tic-tac-toe passing with JJ Peterka, Mason Lohrei, and Marat Khusnutdinov.<\/p>\n
Minten also went toe-to-toe with Jacob Trouba, one of the league\u2019s tougher defensemen after some jostling in front of Askarov\u2019s net. The roughhousing (each took two minutes) helped Minten focus even more.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, maybe [angers you] a bit when you\u2019re getting punched in the head,\u201d said Minten with a boyish grin.<\/p>\n
![\"Bruins](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/BBUFNUNYWTR7Q7EUKOJIFL5TYE.jpg\")
Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei skates with the puck during the first period.Jeff Chiu\/AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu<\/p>\n
Charlie McAvoy<\/a> said the difference between Minten\u2019s freshman and sophomore NHL seasons is stark.<\/p>\n \u201cNight and day,\u201d said McAvoy. \u201cHonestly, he was already amazing last year, and we saw glimpses of what he could be in the future. But I think the biggest thing is one, him finding his voice, which is amazing. We wanted to bring him into the leadership group and see him flourish because he has that personality. But I think the way that he plays is just so mature that that\u2019s a way in which he can lead.\u201d<\/p>\n McAvoy pointed to Fraser\u2019s calming presence in the third as a key to breaking the Sharks\u2019 will.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the third period when it\u2019s a little hectic early and we take a penalty and we weren\u2019t handling the puck the way that we needed to and he\u2019s a guy that you can grab and you know that he\u2019ll do the next right thing when he gets it and then we can try and tip it back in our favor,\u201d said McAvoy. \u201cWe\u2019re going to lean on him a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n Other observations from a late night from the Shark Tank:<\/p>\n \u25aa McAvoy\u2019s return was remarkable as the Bruins\u2019 top defenseman skated a game-high 24 minutes, 41 seconds and scored his first goal of the season, which gave Boston a 2-1 lead.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was nice,\u201d he said of his goal, which came as he was cross-checked into the net. \u201cI thought that was a big-boy shift, and we were trying to hold onto the puck. Something that we talked about before the game, them being a man-on-man team, just to try and break them down and hold onto the puck. It was a good shift. And then that was just a great pass by JJ. I was really happy to be on the other side of that and be able to contribute first game back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25aa The Bruins started slow in each period<\/a> with sloppy play and giveaways leading to odd-man rushes and good chances for the Sharks. They stayed patient, however, and played with structure and physicality to turn the tide.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s all good stuff for us to learn early in the year, trying to build our game and be able to take care of leads and stuff and start on time,\u201d said McAvoy. \u201cTo get a win tonight was big and a lot of things I\u2019m sure that we\u2019ll learn from.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25aa Technically, the Sharks scored only two power-play goals, but for all intents and purposes it was three, as their first strike came just as Nikita Zadorov stepped out of the penalty box. Again, it was managing the puck that was an issue for the penalty kill. <\/p>\n Trouba scored San Jose\u2019s first goal, followed by Ivar Stenberg\u2019s first career goal, and the third came from budding superstar Macklin Celebrini<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe [Sharks] played it well and there\u2019s a few things we just have to get better at,\u201d said Sturm. \u201cStarting with a winning faceoff and we have to get the clear, those are the things we have to clean up.\u201d <\/p>\n \u25aa Jeremy Swayman (35 saves) was brilliant again in the Boston net as he improved to 5-1. His glove save on Stenberg\u2019s stinger in the second period was probably his best . . . Tied 2-2 in the second, Matt Poitras (doorstep knock-in) and Pavel Zacha (one-timer with three seconds left) gave the Bruins a cushion into the third . . . Defenseman Will Borgen\u2019s empty netter was his first as a Bruin. Borgen and Minten finished as plus-4s.<\/p>\n Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @globejimmcbride<\/a>.<\/p>\n