SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Charlie McAvoy scored in his season debut after serving a six-game suspension and the Boston Bruins beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Tuesday night.
McAvoy missed the first six games of the season as punishment for slashing Buffalo’s Zach Benson late in Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs last season when the Bruins got eliminated.
He didn't take long to make an impact as he got in front of the crease and knocked in a pass from JJ Peterka late in the first period to give Boston a 2-1 lead.
Fraser Minten scored two goals and Matthew Poitras and Pavel Zacha also scored for the Bruins, who have won three straight games. Will Borgen added an empty-net goal.
Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves.
Ivar Stenberg scored his first career goal for San Jose. Macklin Celebrini and Jacob Trouba also scored for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 20 saves.
Stenberg, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft in June, tied the game at 2 early in the second period when he tapped in a perfect back-door pass from Celebrini on the power play.
Poitras put Boston back in front midway through the second when he got the puck alone in front of the net and beat Askarov. The Bruins extended the lead when Zacha scored with 3 seconds remaining in the period when he finished a two-on-one with Morgan Geekie.
Celebrini scored on the power play early in the third to make it a one-goal game but Minten's second goal of the game midway through the period restored the two-goal lead.
Up next
Bruins: Visit Anaheim on Friday night.
Sharks: Visit Nashville on Thursday night.
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