BOSTON — Loui Eriksson can’t help shake the comparisons to Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin.
Eriksson scored three goals Thursday night and the Boston Bruins beat the slumping Minnesota Wild, 4-2.
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WHO: Maple Leafs at Bruins
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
TELEVISION: NESN
“He isn’t the same player as Tyler and he won’t ever score 40 or 50 goals,” Bruins Coach Claude Julien said. “But he did get three tonight and when you talk about players you can trust at the end of the game, he is on that list.”
Eriksson was acquired as the centerpiece to the trade that sent Seguin to Dallas in the summer of 2013. Seguin had been injured the previous season and missed 34 games; in the four seasons before that, he averaged 30 goals and 40 assists.
“The first year with Boston I got that concussion, so that was not the best timing,” Eriksson said. “Last year I felt more comfortable and I tried to build on that so it has been working pretty good.”
In his first two years in Boston, Eriksson mustered a combined 84 points while Seguin blossomed with the Stars and finished in the top seven in scoring. Seguin is currently second in NHL scoring, three points behind Patrick Kane.
“Yeah, there has been a lot of talk about (comparisons) through the years and it is nothing I try to think about,” Eriksson said. “He’s a great player and playing well, but I’m trying to focus on my game and help the team win.”
Eriksson is on pace for a career year with nine goals and 17 points through 18 games. He wrapped up his third career hat trick and first since December 2009 when he converted a perfect give-and-go from David Krejci early in the third period.
Krejci had two assists as Boston beat the Wild franchise for only the second time on home ice after dropping the first seven matchups.
Minnesota fell to 1-4-3 in its last eight road games and has led for just 1:12 during that stretch.
“I give us credit for the work tonight, but we aren’t in the business of looking for consolation points,” Wild Coach Mike Yeo said.
Jason Zucker scored for Minnesota in the second period. He sustained a lower body injury as time expired and had to be helped off the ice.
“I didn’t think it was that bad,” Bruins forward Matt Beleskey said. “I did slash him, but … I didn’t try to break his leg and I don’t think I did, either.”
Eriksson’s first two goals came within a span of 3:44 of the second period and put the Bruins ahead 3-1. He scored the tiebreaker when his pass deflected off the skate of Jason Pominville and went into the net at 7:37.
Eriksson scored again during a power play when he tipped a pass from Patrice Bergeron past goaltender Devan Dubnyk.
Dubnyk made 34 saves and dropped to 0-5 all-time against Boston.
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