Minten’s slick feed and defensive responsibility throughout his 12:50 of total ice time are part of the reason why Sturm has gained trust for the 21-year-old forward.
“I like this kid. He played great. He came in ready to go. He played like a man,” Sturm said. “I think it really helps, too, for him playing with a guy like Tanner Jeannot. He takes care of him.”
With opening night four days away, Minten is trying not to get ahead of himself when it comes to a full-time NHL role despite his positive production.
“Entry-level guy, you can go up and down pretty easily. Just take it day by day still,” Minten said. “I think it was good tonight. It was nice to play with a lineup like we had out there. I had guys on my wings there that were unreal. Good game and happy with the preseason.”
Boston doubled its advantage at 14:39 with a tic-tac-toe play from the second line of Viktor Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha. Arvidsson pushed the puck over to Mittelstadt behind the net, who found Zacha open in the slot. Zacha’s wrist shot beat Igor Shesterkin and made it 2-0.
“Second game, we had a couple practices together already. Especially in the offensive zone, I think we won some battles, know where we are,” Zacha said of his line. “It is only going to get better with the games and practice we are going to have.”
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