Minten Scores Twice and McAvoy Returns in a 6-3 Win in San Jose

By Soapz · Oct 14, 2026

The road trip is off to a great start, B's fans. Fraser Minten scored twice, Charlie McAvoy scored in his season debut and Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves as the Bruins beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 at SAP Center on Tuesday night. That's three straight wins, and the Bruins are now 5-2-0.

This wasn't the cleanest game the Bruins have played, and the Sharks outshot them 38-26. But they scored timely goals, got huge saves from Swayman and found ways to answer every time San Jose pushed back. Plus, getting your best defenseman back in the lineup is always a good thing. Let's get into it.

First period: Minten and McAvoy

The first period started a little rough, with David Pastrnak taking a high-sticking penalty at 4:44 and Nikita Zadorov going off for hooking at 13:27. But the penalty kill handled both, and at 12:55, Minten opened the scoring. Casey Mittelstadt and Zadorov did the work, and Minten beat Yaroslav Askarov with a wrist shot for his third goal of the season. 1-0.

San Jose answered at 15:29 when Jacob Trouba blasted a slap shot past Swayman, with Kiefer Sherwood and Dmitry Orlov on the assists. But the Bruins got the lead right back. At 18:43, JJ Peterka found McAvoy, and the big defenseman beat Askarov with a wrist shot for his first goal of the season, in his very first game of the season. 2-1 Bruins after one. What a way to come back.

Second period: a big finish

The second period started with another penalty, as Zadorov went off for tripping Macklin Celebrini at 4:47. This time, the Sharks made it count, with Ivar Stenberg scoring at 5:48 off a feed from Celebrini and Orlov. 2-2.

But the Bruins had an answer again. At 8:42, Mark Kastelic and Geekie got the puck to the net, and Matthew Poitras tipped it in for his second goal of the season. 3-2. The middle of the period got chippy, with Fraser Minten and Trouba trading roughing minors, but the Bruins kept their cool.

And then, with just three seconds left in the period, Geekie and Pastrnak set up Zacha, and Pav fired a wrist shot past Askarov for his second goal of the year. 4-2. A goal that late in a period can change a game, and this one gave the Bruins a two-goal cushion heading into the third.

Third period: Minten slams the door

The Sharks didn't go away. The Bruins were called for too many men on the ice at 4:53, and 11 seconds later Celebrini snapped one home on the power play, with Stenberg and Will Smith on the assists. 4-3, and the building got loud.

Then, at 6:40, Zadorov and Darnell Nurse dropped the gloves, and that seemed to settle things down for the Bruins. At 11:47, Khusnutdinov and Mason Lohrei worked the puck to Minten in front, and Minten tipped it in for his second goal of the night and fourth of the season. 5-3. That was the dagger.

The Sharks pulled Askarov late, and Borgen sealed it with an empty-net goal at 18:18, unassisted. 6-3 final.

Sway was the difference

Let's be honest. The Sharks were better than the Bruins for a lot of this game. They outshot Boston 38-26, and they had a lot of good looks. But Swayman stopped 35 of them, and he made several huge saves at key moments, especially in the third period when San Jose was pushing to tie it. He's now been the backbone of this team for most of the season, and this was another great night.

Welcome back, Charlie

McAvoy was the third star in his season debut, and he looked like he hadn't missed a beat. He scored a goal, played a team-high 24:41, threw four hits and was a steadying presence on the back end. Getting him back makes this blue line deeper and a lot more dangerous for opponents.

Minten keeps rolling

Minten was the first star with two goals, and he now leads the team with four goals on the season. He finished plus-4, and he was dangerous every time he was on the ice. Khusnutdinov assisted on his second goal and finished plus-3, and Peterka assisted on McAvoy's goal and finished plus-2. That line keeps producing, and it's quickly becoming one of the best in the lineup.

Borgen also deserves a shoutout. He threw five hits, finished plus-4 and scored an empty-net goal. Geekie had two assists, and Zadorov dropped the gloves to get his team going.

Soapz's report card

Fraser Minten: A+. Two goals, plus-4 and the first star. He now leads the team with four goals, and he's scoring in every way imaginable.

Jeremy Swayman: A+. 35 saves on 38 shots, and he was the reason the Bruins survived a night when they were outshot by 12. Some of those third-period saves were game-savers.

Charlie McAvoy: A. A goal, four hits and a team-high 24:41 in his season debut. It's like he never left.

Will Borgen: A-. Five hits, plus-4 and an empty-net goal from his own end. A great all-around night for a guy who doesn't always get the credit he deserves.

Morgan Geekie: B+. Two assists, and he set up both Poitras' tip-in and Zacha's late goal.

Pavel Zacha: B. The goal with three seconds left in the second was huge, but he won just 18 percent of his faceoffs. A mixed night.

Nikita Zadorov: B-. An assist and a fight to fire up the bench, but two minors, and the Sharks scored on one of them.

Mason Lohrei: B+. The secondary assist on Minten's dagger in the third, and he moved the puck with confidence all night on the road.

Discipline: C. Six penalties, and the Sharks scored twice on the power play. That's something to clean up before Anaheim.

Why this one matters

Road trips can define a season, and the Bruins got this one started the right way. San Jose has young talent all over the lineup, and it's not an easy building to win in. The Bruins weren't at their best, but they found a way, and that's a sign of a good team. Three straight wins, McAvoy back in the lineup and Swayman playing at an elite level. Things are looking pretty good right now.

It's also a game the Bruins can learn from. Getting outshot 38-26 isn't sustainable, and giving a team with Celebrini and Stenberg six power plays is asking for trouble. The good news is that those are fixable problems. Cleaner changes, smarter sticks and a little more time in the offensive zone would go a long way. Do that, and pair it with Swayman's goaltending, and this road trip could turn into something special. For one night in San Jose, though, the result was all that mattered, and the Bruins earned it. Next stop, Anaheim.

Looking ahead: Anaheim on Friday

The road trip continues on Friday night in Anaheim, followed by Los Angeles on Saturday and Dallas next Tuesday. The Ducks are young and fast, and a West Coast late start can be tough on the legs. Things to watch: Can the Bruins stay out of the box after taking six penalties? Does Swayman keep rolling? And can Minten keep scoring?

Our takeaways

Sway was a wall. 35 saves on 38 shots, and the Bruins needed every one. McAvoy is back. A goal and a team-high 24:41 in his debut. Minten is the team's leading goal scorer. Four goals in seven games. This team answers. Every time the Sharks scored, the Bruins had a response.

Three in a row and 5-2-0, B's fans. On to Anaheim! 🐻

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