Quietly, but assertively, Danton Heinen has been the Bruins’ most consistent offensive producer the last six weeks. Amid the club’s torrid 17-3-2 run, the soft-spoken left winger also put himself into the Rookie of the Year conversation.

Heinen, 22, had an assist in the Bruins’ 7-1 win over the Hurricanes on Saturday night, giving him a line of 10-19—29 through 35 games.

Consider: Heinen went into Saturday’s game ranked fourth among first-year NHL scorers. Only Vancouver’s Brock Boeser (38), the Islanders’ Mathew Barzal (37), and Arizona’s Clayton Keller (32) ranked higher than Heinen.

The secret to it all?

“I don’t know,’’ said Heinen, who left the University of Denver to start his pro career after his sophomore season. “I think I am playing with some pretty good players, been given a good opportunity, and a little bit of good luck along the way helps. Just trying to work hard. I’ve been the beneficiary of playing with good players.’’

Straight from Hockey Humble 101, isn’t it? Heinen, who grew up in British Columbia, clearly skipped the self-promotion classes during his two years in Denver. But he is right when crediting his linemates of late, Riley Nash and David Backes. With those vets at his side, he’s profited, which is how it’s supposed to go for rookies who are finding their way.

Heinen didn’t have that kind of reliable safety net in place last season when he made the varsity out of training camp, only to have his game weaken by the shift, ultimately leading him to a near seasonlong primer course at AHL Providence.

“In different areas on the ice, you’re not . . . you know, like when you jump in any level of your career, you’re not comfortable in all positions right away,’’ said Heinen, following Saturday’s early workout in Brighton. “For me going down [to Providence], I was just trying to get comfortable, get better in the areas where I didn’t feel comfortable. Now I feel a lot better.’’

Over the course of the club’s recent torrid 22-game hot streak, Heinen has delivered a line of 7-14—21, held without a point in only seven of those games.

Brad Marchand, sidelined for the first five games of the streak, is 8-15—23, followed by David Pastrnak (6-15—21) and Patrice Bergeron (12-8—20).

Along the way, the message from the coaching staff to Heinen: deal more with the puck on his forehand. Backhand plays, be they to pass or to shoot, often translate to soft play and turnovers. Remove the turnover and what coach Bruce Cassidy refers to as “hope plays.’’

“He’s done a much better job with that,’’ said Cassidy. “Competing and winning pucks all over the ice, especially second efforts in the offensive zone. Recover pucks. Make plays. His pace hasn’t changed . . . he’s not a blazer like Spoons [Ryan Spooner] and Marchy, but he can keep up. Good enough feet. Very good hands. Great brain has allowed him to keep up with plays. I would say puck plays and getting pucks back.’’

Growing up in B.C., Heinen was a center, the track most NHL forwards seem to have followed to the big time.

Centers typically think to pass first, and Heinen was no different, even by the time he made it to junior hockey as a winger. He still has to remind himself to think shot as his first option.

“I feel like I still am a pass-first guy, but I want to tell myself to shoot more,’’ he said. “I think it was natural for me to be a pass-first guy, and when you’re natural like that, it’s tough to tell yourself to shoot more, but that’s kind what I am trying to do.’’

Net plus

Cassidy named Anton Khudobin his starting goalie following the Saturday morning workout. The move left top stopper Tuukka Rask rested for Sunday night’s game in Pittsburgh — the club’s last game prior to a scheduled five-day break between games.

Rask, the NHL’s first star for the month of November, entered the weekend with one of the hottest runs of his career: 11-0-1.

Rask has not lost a game in regulation for some five weeks, dating to a 4-2 loss to the Oilers at TD Garden on Nov. 26. His 3-2 loss to the Rangers on Dec. 16 was in overtime

Khudobin, who won four straight in November when the Bruins started their torrid run, is 2-2-1 in his last four five starts.

Given the upcoming vacation break, it would not have been a shock if Cassidy opted to start Rask in both games this weekend. But the club has been reluctant to start him on back-to-back nights, given his injury history the last couple of seasons.

“Not really,’’ said Cassidy, asked if he considered going with Rask in both games. “He was going to play Thursday [a game called off due to snow], and Thursday-Sunday was the original plan. Thursday got wiped, so we are just going to stick with it.’’

Following the break, they don’t suit up again until Saturday in Montreal, their first matchup with the Habs this season.

Spooner ailing

Spooner exited the lineup midway through the third period and never returned the bench. He has spent two stretches out of the lineup this season, hindered by a groin injury. Cassidy said he would not have an update until prior to Sunday’s game. If he were to need the night off, Frank Vatrano would be the likely choice to take his spot at right wing with the Jake DeBrusk-David Krejci line . . . Bergeron finished with a game-high seven shots on net (and three more that didn’t make it to the net). He was also in full Patrice The Thief mode, winning 13 of his 19 faceoffs . . . Rookie Sean Kuraly also was great at the dot, winning 10 of his 11 drops . . . Kevan Miller finished plus-4, boosting him to plus-10 for the season . . . Carolina’s Derek Ryan and Jeff Skinner each logged minus-5 eyesores . . . The Bruins have outscored the opposition, 78-40, over their 22-game run, which has included winning streaks of five games, four games, and three games (twice) . . . A face in the crowd at the morning workout in Brighton: coaching legend Scotty Bowman, who visits the Hub frequently to see one of his young grandson’s play hockey.

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeKPD.