Geekie has been skating on the second line with Matt Poitras and Brad Marchand ahead of the Bruins' West Coast showing.
While Matt Poitras’ promotion to the second line has been the headline surrounding the Boston Bruins this week, Morgan Geekie has slyly slotted himself into top six positioning as well, adapting his game to what the team needs to win.
Geekie, who signed with the B’s in July after two seasons with the Seattle Kraken, was originally imagined to be Boston’s third line center ahead of training camp. And though that wasn’t his role come opening night, the 25-year-old has found chemistry with Poitras and – in hand – elevated his play on the right wing.
As the Bruins prepare to kick off their West Coast road trip with a 10:30 p.m. puck drop against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Geekie is set to start on the second line with Poitras and captain Brad Marchand.
“I’m just going to try to go out there and make space for him [Marchand],” Geekie told Bruins reporter Eric Russo on Wednesday. “And ‘Potsy’ has kind of shown that he can make plays and contribute up and down the ice, so I’m just going to go out there and try to make space for both of those guys and try to make plays where I can.”
Geekie and Poitras have skated together the past two games on the third line with Trent Frederic. While Geekie has yet to register his first point with his new team, his impact has been evident, adding “speed and creativity” that has supplemented his 19-year-old linemate well.
Another upside of Geekie’s game is his grit and willingness to go to the greasy areas. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery has consistently preached building a better “team game” and, while it’s a small sample size of two regular season performances, Geekie has done just that.
“I especially like how he wins races to the net-front and stays there,” Montgomery told reporters onWednesday. “Takes a lot of punishment. I think he’s somebody that’s really gonna help us with our net-front battle and our net-front presence, 5-on-5 and power play.
“I don’t care what your makeup is of your line; if you’re a possession line or you’re a rush line, you’ve got to get to hard areas.”
As a natural centerman, Geekie has had a front row seat to Poitras’ rise down the middle and is able to chip in – while still fulfilling his responsibility on the wing – with down low defensive coverage and also provides the option to swap places for a spark if needed.
Similar to the rest of his teammates’ responses, Geekie pointed to Poitras’ poise as the element of the youngster’s game that has stuck out the most thus far.
“Probably just his poise. Young kid coming in obviously you think there’s a little bit of nerves and things, but you don’t see that in his game at all,” Geekie said. “He’s a great player and he’s a great asset to the team. I’ve had a lot of fun playing with him.”
Geekie’s own poise has been notable as well as he adjusts to the Bruins’ systems and standards after coming from an expansion team with different organizational expectations. His versatility has shined through, and the work ethic has followed.
“I think compete’s just a big thing. You see it day in and day out here, there’s a compete level that I don’t know is matched anywhere else – I think you see that with the track record of this team,” Geekie said. “You see that out of the top guys and it kind of filters down through everybody.”
While Geekie’s current second line role may not last as Montgomery continues to test different combinations and the Bruins Brass decides on Poitras’ long term standing on the NHL roster, he has showcased his commitment to being a team player and that’s all the B’s can ask for.