Morgan Geekie: Revitalizing His Game with the Boston Bruins
TAMPA, Fla. – As the lights prepare to illuminate Raymond James Stadium for Sunday’s Stadium Series game, Morgan Geekie’s story is one of resilience and adaptation. Once finding himself on the third line during a challenging stretch, Geekie has reclaimed his position as the left wing on the Bruins’ No. 1 line alongside David Pastrnak.
The journey back to form wasn’t conventional. Geekie experimented with tinted visors – initially tried against the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars – hoping for a spark. While he didn’t mind the visor, its shape proved problematic. “It’s too thin. I could see the bottom line of the visor,” Geekie explained. Ironically, he scored his first goal in 13 games while wearing it against the Stars on January 20th, a power-play deflection off a Pastrnak one-timer.
A Return to Normalcy & a Six-Game Scoring Streak
That goal served as a turning point. Geekie realized he was overthinking things and resorting to unusual tactics in an attempt to break his slump. He experimented with white tape on his blade and even Victor Soderstrom’s 77 flex stick. “We forget that we can kind of do whatever we want,” Geekie said. “We get all the gear we want. I was kind of at the point where I wasn’t really stuck in anything. I just felt like screwing around.”
Since then, Geekie has entered a remarkable run of form, boasting a six-game scoring streak (five goals and three assists). He’s back to using his standard clear shield and black tape, and his trusty 87 flex Bauer Vapor Flylite stick with the Adam Oates curve. “Feeling-wise, I never really changed much,” he stated. “It’s just nice to see them go in again.”
Pastrnak’s Influence and Team Adjustments
Geekie’s resurgence is undoubtedly linked to the brilliance of David Pastrnak, who has been a dominant force with two goals and eight assists over the last six games. Coach Marco Sturm praised Pastrnak’s unique skillset, stating, “Just so many things in his game and between his ears that you can’t really teach.”
Sturm also noted Geekie’s tendency to drift outside high-danger areas during his slump and highlighted his recent focus on positioning himself between the dots. This, combined with a renewed confidence in his shot, has been key to his success.
Navigating Injuries and New Line Combinations
The Bruins face challenges with injuries to key players, including Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha. Geekie acknowledged the impact of their absence, stating, “They’re two of our best players, so we’ve got to make a couple changes. If everybody doesn’t try to do too much, just stick to our game, we’ve got good enough structure and we can rely on each other at both ends of the rink that we can kind of take care of it.”
Matt Poitras made his season debut as the No. 3 center, alongside Marat Khusnutdinov and Alex Steeves, with Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic added to his wings for Saturday’s practice. Sturm emphasized the importance of Poitras playing a strong two-way game without focusing solely on offense.
Embracing the Outdoor Experience
The Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning practiced under an air-conditioned tent at Raymond James Stadium to preserve the ice. Andrew Peeke, a Florida native, expressed his excitement about playing in his home state, saying, “It’d be cool to see the stadium before the game…(Sunday) we’re all going to have goosebumps all walking out and being able to see everything for what it is.”
Source: The Athletic
