Minten scores against former team as Bruins beat Maple Leafs 5-3 for 6th straight win

TORONTO (AP) — Fraser Minten scored against his former team and Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves as the Boston Bruins beat the sloppy Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Saturday night for their sixth straight victory.

Morgan Geekie, with a goal and an assist, Viktor Arvidsson, Michael Eyssimont and David Pastrnak provided the rest of the offense for Boston. Mason Lorei added two assists for the Bruins, who were missing top defenseman Charlie McAvoy because of a personal matter.

Nick Robertson, Matias Maccelli and John Tavares scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz allowed four goals on 19 shots before getting pulled. Dennis Hildeby finished with 19 saves in relief.

Morgan Rielly had two assists for the Maple Leafs, who had won three in a row.

Boston took a 3-2 lead on a power play in the second period before Pastrnak scored a highlight-reel goal that ended Stolarz’s night.

Tavares got one back for Toronto on a man advantage late in the period, but Boston held on in the third before Minten iced it with just over three minutes remaining.

Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov crushed Scott Laughton in the second on a hit that resulted in a fight with Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann. Laughton, who returned Wednesday after the veteran center missed the start of the season with a lower-body injury, went to the locker room and didn’t return.

Minten played against Toronto for the first time since being dealt to Boston ahead of last season’s trade deadline. The rookie center was the key piece in a package that sent defenseman Brandon Carlo the other way.

Boston went ahead 3-2 in the second on a power play when Eyssimont’s shot just made it over the goal line under Stolarz’s right pad, a sequence that required video review.

Toronto and Boston combined to score three goals in 38 seconds early in the first period — the fastest by two teams this season.

Up next

Bruins: Host the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

Maple Leafs: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl