Player Discussion Morgan Geekie

[wintersej]

Bruins put Terry OReilly with Peter McNab and he jumped to 90 and 78 points

I want to see Merkulov between 63 and 74 at least at TC

My friend said he came by recently/last week and grabbed a bunch of sticks - he’s around Providence and working out - but Providence is doing a bunch of construction inside and no ice so guessing at PC

He’s an interesting player grabbing first team all rookie Big 10 where Minnesota & Michigan reside in 2021 and first team All Rookie in AHL in 2922

Don’t sleep on him because he’s only 5’11 he’s competing all 3 zones

Any option that is serviceable and pushes Coyle to the third line is a ok with me.

 

[DKH]

Any option that is serviceable and pushes Coyle to the third line is a ok with me.

My opinion is Sweeney’s end result is Coyle as the third line center

How and when he gets there is the mystery

So many scenarios

 

[JCRO]

He’s been great.

Think he and Jimbo are starting to find places in the lineup to best utilize his skill set

 

[quietbruinfan]

Solid enough but keep him with 51 to best utilize him. He is not built for the bottom six.

 

[hrdpuk]

On his assist to Poitras' goal he looked really fast getting to the puck.

 

[BMC]

His line should be called The Geek Squad.

I'll see myself out...

 

[Absurdity]

 

[Kegs]

Bump.


He is big, strong, forechecks hard, makes good decisions with the puck and he has a cannon.


Just want to give some love to this guy.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

Outside of a couple of games where he looked to have some chemistry with Poitras, I think Geekie has been pedestrian at best in his start in Boston. Serviceable 13th forward perhaps. Just a guy.

Then he gets a chance further up the lineup and he's an entirely different animal. Smart. Confident. Assertive. At times? Dominant.

It's only two games. It's just two like... In my opinion absolutely stellar games. And I want to see him stick in that role for a little while longer. It's probably not sustainable... But I want to give him a chance to prove it's not a fluke.

When Zacha gets back, (like @wintersej suggested) put him on the wing and leave Geekie in the middle.

 

[Mad-Marcus]

Very Coyle like. Has the ability to stay on pucks while engaged in being checked.

 

[wintersej]

Very Coyle like. Has the ability to stay on pucks while engaged in being checked.

Yeah but I think better shot and more able to be a factor with limited touches in the o-zone. Coyle is at his best with the puck on his stick. Don’t think that’s the case with Geekie. That fits better with higher end talent. Be the mucker. Have enough skill not to be a drag. And let the skill guys do their thing.

 

[Mad-Marcus]

"like", not a replica. They're both reasonably hard to knock off the the puck. He's been a pleasant surprise and deserving of playing with better players. Pasta-Geekie-Zacha as a top line might be worth trying.
Pasta-Geekie-Zacha
March-Coyle-Heinen
JVR-Freddy-JBD
Lauko-Beech-Steen

Could be a more balanced approach. Sub Poitras into the 3rd line every 2 out of 3 games, rotating JVR, Steen, and Lauko. Just a thought, I'd sit JBD, but he's a pouter and we need to build his value for the TDL.

Not perfect, just a thought.

 

[DKH]

He like Coyle is a big guy - he’s heavy and looks the 6’3 listed

 

[JCRO]

Your modern day Riley Nash

 

[CDJ]

Your modern day Riley Nash

Much better offensive player than Riley Nash

 

[JCRO]

Much better offensive player than Riley Nash

I think so. It wasn’t made to be a knock on him. Just very similar in that he can be plugged in at center on any line (even with the big guns) and they don’t lose production.

Honestly excited. He’s still young and has shown he can be much more than a fourth liner.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

3 points in his first 13 games.
11 points in his most recent 13.

I’m stuck between disappointed with Geekie and being impressed with the progress he’s shown.

Thing is, the guy has had these amazing shifts where he takes over. Physical puck win, smart pass, smart positioning, another physical battle, goal. And I shout “That! That’s… where is that?!” Then he’s gone for five games.

There’s SOMETHING there. I know there is. It just frustrates me.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

3 points in his first 13 games.
11 points in his most recent 13.

I’m stuck between disappointed with Geekie and being impressed with the progress he’s shown.

Thing is, the guy has had these amazing shifts where he takes over. Physical puck win, smart pass, smart positioning, another physical battle, goal. And I shout “That! That’s… where is that?!” Then he’s gone for five games.

There’s SOMETHING there. I know there is. It just frustrates me.

Until his goal in the 3rd period tonight, I thought he was having a terrible game.

 

[DKH]

Until his goal in the 3rd period tonight, I thought he was having a terrible game.

The penalty was a joke but the first goal by Point was on him

Good lesson - he’s very smart from everything I read out of Seattle so I’m sure he will put more Chinese duck sauce on it next time

He’s been a heck of a signing

 

[Dr Hook]

Geek has a wicked shot. He reminds me of a young Charlie Coyle quite a bit in his overall game. I liked the signing at the time and I think it’s proving itself to be a good one.

 

[Tbaybruin]

A third line of Geekie ,Freddie and Charlie could dominate in the playoffs.

 

[PB37]

Kid is going for some career highs: currently on pace for 21 goals/45 points. What a big pickup for the top 9 if he continues this way.

 

[NDiesel]

Kid is going for some career highs: currently on pace for 21 goals/45 points. What a big pickup for the top 9 if he continues this way.

The type of signing this team needs more of and less signings of 30+ guys (not dissing JVR or Shatty).

Should look to target more guys with size around age 25 when they pop up in UFA, seems they always start to breakout around this age, like Freddy.

 

[BMC]

He seems to have a knack for scoring goals at the right time.

 

[Gee Wally]

One of the Bruins’ biggest strengths up front? Morgan Geekie. - The Boston Globe

Geekie is "farm boy strong" and has used that to his, and the team's, advantage in his first season in Boston. Just ask Bruins captain Brad Marchand.

www.bostonglobe.com

Brad Marchand ran into Morgan Geekie early last fall. The captain didn’t like it.

Marchand found out then what Bruins opponents are finding out now: Geekie is one tough customer.

“I thought [strength] was an asset of his game. I didn’t know he was as strong as he is though,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Monday, prior to his club scoring a 4-1 win over the Jets at TD Garden. “I was talking with Marchy the other day and he said he didn’t know how strong he was. He tried to run him over in training camp or early in the season and he goes, ‘He’s farm boy strong.’ ”


Geekie takes that characterization as a compliment.

A first-year Bostonian, the Strathclair, Manitoba-bred Geekie has become an invaluable member of Montgomery’s forward group, splitting time between center and wing, and specializing in getting to — and excelling in — the dirty areas.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 202-pound Geekie is wiry strong, enabling him to win net-front battles and those scrums along the boards. He uses a combination of strength, balance, and leverage to win puck battles, often against multiple opponents.

For example, on Danton Heinen’s first goal in Saturday’s win over the Canadiens, defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk were credited with assists, but the biggest helper came from Geekie, who pinned the puck along the boards and held off several pursuers to eventually get the puck to McAvoy at the blue line.

“I think the whole goal is attributed to what he did, right? He hung on the puck, won probably three one-on-one battles in that sequence, and the longer you make people defend, the more mistakes they’re going to make,” Montgomery noted. “And I did like the way our three forwards won races to hard areas, and we ended up getting rewarded with the goal.”


For Geekie, those clashes have been a staple in his game for a long time.

“It’s something I kind of took pride in, even as a kid, that was one of the only times I felt like I could ever win a one-on-three when I was younger,” Geekie said. “So, just being able to protect pucks like that, something that I feel like is a skill that a lot of people work to have, and I felt like I’ve always kind of had that. Obviously, you play against bigger, stronger guys, you’ve got to hone that skill a little bit and I think I had a few growing pains in the last few years with it, but I’ve kind of grown into myself and figured out what works and what doesn’t here. So yeah, just something that is a skill that I’m lucky to have. I like working on it too, so it’s good.”

As important as the physical skills are, Geekie noted that awareness and experience are critical assets when it comes to puck possession.

“I think a big one is just knowing where the puck is and where you can keep it and where you can’t,” he said. “I think I’m good at being up against the wall back when I was a little more lanky and uncoordinated, I got stuck against the wall a lot, so I’d figure out ways to win it back. So, I think finally remembering where I have the puck and where I can get away with things is good. And then when you can add strength and size into that and win battles, it definitely helps for sure.”

Through 40 games as a Bruin, Geekie, who signed a two-year, $4 million free agent deal, has 8 goals and 23 points after contributing an assist on the opening goal against the Jets. Originally drafted by the Hurricanes, Geekie was plucked by the Kraken in the expansion draft and was a regular in Seattle the last two seasons.

Reminded of Marchand’s farm boy comment, Geekie smiled and nodded.

“I wasn’t the strongest kid growing up, but I think I put a lot of work in and just the mentality, even coming from the community I come from, you see that with how we’re raised and things like that, it’s kind of just something that everyone has,” he said. “So, I’m lucky enough to come from a community where I know everybody, and I could go back home and see somebody on the street and call them by name. So, it’s definitely a compliment and I take it to heart for sure.”