{ "blocks": [ { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "BRIGHTON, Mass. – Morgan Geekie is welcoming his former team to town on Thursday when the Boston Bruins host the Seattle Kraken at TD Garden." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The Bruins forward spent the past two seasons in Seattle, where he was one of the franchise’s original players after getting selected in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft from the Carolina Hurricanes." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "“It’s a great group of guys over there, and nothing but great things to say about them so it’ll be great to go up against them,” Geekie said after Thursday’s optional morning skate." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Geekie spoke about his connection with former Kraken teammates, such as forward Matty Beniers. The two would bond over Mario Kart on the team plane last season, and Geekie also poked fun at Beniers’ affinity for sweets, which players Geekie’s age and older “can’t get away with” anymore, according to him." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "“He’s a great kid, he’s a great player and he’s going to be in this league for a long time,” Geekie said of Beniers. “He’s got a great family and a good head on his shoulders, so as long as he keeps his diet in order, I think he’ll be good.” " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The 25-year-old totaled 50 points in 142 games with Seattle over two seasons. A restricted free agent entering the offseason, Geekie did not receive a qualifying offer from the Kraken, making him free to sign with Boston." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Geekie is averaging five more minutes of ice time per night with the Bruins (15:28) compared to last year in Seattle, and it took him 45 games to match his last season’s goal total of nine, which he had through 69 games in 2022-23." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "After spending time on the top line with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand at points this season, Geekie has primarily settled into the third line center role. Recently, he’s skated between James van Riemsdyk and recent call-up Anthony Richard." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "“[Van Riemsdyk] loves to hold on to pucks, make plays, and I played with [Richard] a little bit in camp, so I’m a little familiar with his game, too,” Geekie said. “And obviously you know he’s offensive-minded. You’ve seen what he did in [AHL] Providence there, so there’s a lot of offense. I know [Richard’s] got a lot of speed, and I think we all mesh pretty well together. We got a little different taste each one of us, so it’s kind of good to bring that as a line and kind of mix things up a little bit.”" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The Bruins are looking to return to consistency after a 1-2-1 start out of the All-Star break. Their most recent outing – a 3-2 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday – showed signs of improvement after lackluster efforts against the Calgary Flames (4-1 loss on Feb. 8) and Washington Capitals (3-0 loss on Saturday)." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "“I was proud of our effort,” Geekie said of the Tampa Bay game. “I thought we responded well and there’s other good teams in this league too, so an effort like that sometimes goes your way, sometimes doesn’t and we’re just gonna keep building on it tonight.”" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Other Links:" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "How Bruins Plan to Address Power Play Woes" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Why Bruins Will Test New Second Line Against Tampa Bay" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Pavel Zacha ‘Working On The Little Things’ To Find Game Again" } } ] }

Bruins Forward Talks About Facing Former Team