Regardless of the rarified air he’s presently occupying, Morgan Geekie is just not a participant to demand his “flowers.”
We at the moment are previous Thanksgiving and Geekie – a participant who simply three summers in the past was not even certified by his former staff, the Seattle Kraken – stays in a neck-and-neck race for the Rocket Richard Trophy with probably the most explosive participant this facet of Connor McDavid, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon.
Each have 20 targets after Saturday’s video games. And whereas MacKinnon has been the extra full offensive participant – he’s bought 20-24-44 totals whereas Geekie goes for the Cy Younger with 20-6-26 – Geekie’s feat thus far could also be much more spectacular than what the uber-gifted MacKinnon has finished.
The Avs are a juggernaut. The Bruins, merely put, should not. And there have been nights this season when, if Geekie isn’t scoring for the B’s, nobody is.
He’s much more vital now that David Pastrnak has been out the final couple of video games. Coach Marco Sturm wasn’t so positive how Geekie would carry out with out the B’s most gifted offensive participant to assist him. However he’s scored three targets within the two video games Pastrnak has been out, together with each regulation targets in Boston’s 3-2 shootout win over Detroit on Saturday.
“It reveals me, and us, that he’s a rattling good participant,” stated Sturm after that win.
Although Geekie scored 33 targets final season – most of which got here after Thanksgiving – he’s getting a kick out of his see-saw battle with MacKinnon.
“I’m not purported to be there, so … I don’t know, it’s enjoyable. It’s cool,” stated Geekie with a bemused smile. “I used to observe that man rising up. I do know he’s not that a lot older than me however he was within the league lots longer than I used to be. It’s cool, tremendous enjoyable, but it surely’s nonetheless early and there’s numerous season left.”
Geekie admitted he feels he doesn’t fairly belong in the identical dialog as MacKinnon.
“Just a little bit, yeah. That’s to not say that I don’t assume I’m a superb participant, however these guys are a distinct caliber it appears, at the least in my thoughts,” stated Geekie.
However what he does take numerous delight in is the best way he’s stepped up for his staff, particularly since they’ve been beset by accidents. However he was cautious to unfold that credit score round.
“I believe I’ve been right here lengthy sufficient,” he stated. “The core has modified a bit bit for the reason that first time I got here in. Clearly we now have numerous our core guys out. And for a man who’s purported to be right here for a short time longer, it’s sort of on our shoulders, me and (Nikita Zadorov) and (Hampus and Elias Lindholm) and simply the fellows who’ve been round right here a bit longer, (Pavel Zacha) – sorry, I don’t need to miss anyone — it’s upon us to guide these guys and nonetheless that’s going to be. Tonight, it was two targets. However you noticed (Jeremy Swayman) and the way he performed and Lindy and Z on the again finish, so I believe it’s just a bit little bit of the whole lot from everyone proper now.”
He’s scoring in numerous methods. Whereas he can pound the puck – he has the toughest shot of the season thus far at 103.3 mph – he has scored on a few excessive ideas within the final couple of video games. It has been fairly a season thus far, one which has allowed the B’s to remain in playoff competition.
Perhaps some day he’ll carry himself like a star off the ice, however he couldn’t be farther from that proper now.
“I believe he’s humble and that’s the sort of man he’s,” stated Swayman. “He’s by no means going to be a ‘me me me’ man. That’s a management high quality. I’m so completely satisfied for him that he sticks to himself and has his personal elite self-culture. It’s highly effective and it bleeds into the room.”
Singular focus
Talking of Swayman, he completed November a powerful 8-2 and has upped his save share to .915. He’s enjoying just like the man the B’s spent $66 million on final yr.
Sturm stated he had a dialog with him about not worrying about being a frontrunner.
“I believe one factor that will have occurred up to now, as a result of he’s an older man, too, he’s been round a bit bit, he thought he needed to do extra. That’s one thing I talked to him about. I would like him to focus on simply stopping the puck,” stated Sturm. “I believe we now have one other group and numerous guys who can act as leaders. They’re leaders. For him, it’s ‘you’ve bought one job to do.’ I believe that’s one thing he went again to. You don’t have to fret about anything … that’s one thing I believe helped him, for positive.”
Swayman also needs to be a powerful candidate to put on purple, white and blue come Olympic time. He may even play himself into enjoying time. Swayman was a backup for 4 Nations and led the USA to gold within the World Championships final spring.
“It’s a life objective of mine to be on the Olympic staff and I do know that if I do my job with the Boston Bruins it’s going to place me in good place to be there at some point,” stated Swayman. “So I’m simply going to stay to my each day life and hopefully it really works out the proper means.”
Free pucks
Sturm stated Mark Kastelic might not have been wild about transferring to wing as a substitute of heart, however the coach’s transfer has labored out. However Sturm stated he’s taken his function on the third line and penalty kill and gotten extra out of it than even the coach imagined.
Sturm additionally makes use of Kastelic to take the primary faceoff in time beyond regulation, the place possession is paramount to success. Is {that a} bone that Sturm throws to him?
“Not a bone. That’s the mistaken phrase. We would like the puck, to start with, and we expect with him getting it on the faceoff, he’s our greatest man. And now, he’s already ready for it. That’s the most effective half,” stated Sturm with a large grin. “I discuss to him about it and he’s like ‘yeah, that’s my job.’ And now when it’s OT, I can see him trying again. And naturally I’m going to get him on the market as a result of we’ve been fairly good in our OT thus far. And he’s been successful each considered one of them, knock on wooden. Don’t need to jinx him.”
Kastelic, who scored a knockdown on Moritz Seider in a first-period battle, takes delight in that specific area of interest function.
“It’s an awesome alternative for me to do a job for the staff,” stated Kastelic, who heads to the bench as soon as the faceoff is received. “I really feel like I’ve a job. It’s simply little moments like that the place I take numerous delight in personally. It’s nice to really feel that belief from the teaching workers to be put in these large moments. It’s been fairly cool to go on the market and guys on the staff. It’s such a bit factor, however they hype me up a lot. It’s superior to see.” … The B’s assigned Georgii Merkulov to Windfall on Sunday.
