Morgan Geekie knows slumps come with the territory. But when you’re leading your team in goals and suddenly can’t buy one for over a dozen games, it’s hard not to feel it.
So when Bruins president Cam Neely-one of the most prolific scorers in franchise history-pulled Geekie aside in the locker room, it wasn’t just a casual chat. It was a timely reminder from someone who’s been through the highs and lows of goal scoring at the NHL level.
The conversation happened near the stick rack, where Geekie had been experimenting with everything from tape color to pregame rituals in search of a spark. Neely kept it light, but his message was clear: relax, trust your game, and the goals will come.
“He just told me to take it easy and it will come eventually,” Geekie said after the team’s morning skate. “It was all lighthearted, but he cares a lot. He wants me to produce and wants what’s best for the team.”
That kind of support hits differently when it comes from a guy like Neely. And for Geekie, who’s redefined his own identity over the past year, it was a needed reset.
Let’s not forget-this wasn’t always Geekie’s role. Early in his career, he wasn’t pegged as a goal scorer.
Even he admits that. But then came a breakout 2025, where he found the back of the net 50 times and earned himself a six-year, $33 million deal.
Suddenly, the narrative shifted. Now, he’s the guy expected to light the lamp.
He’s not a carbon copy of Neely-few are-but they share the one trait that matters most: the ability to score.
“I think that was maybe an identity I took on the last year or so,” Geekie said. “So to have someone of his stature and what he’s accomplished here kind of relate to me a little, I was able to take a deep breath and rest. It means a lot.”
And Neely’s advice? Simple but telling: when the chances stop coming, that’s when you start to worry.
For Geekie, the chances haven’t dried up-far from it. He’s been buzzing, hitting posts, creating looks, and staying active in the offensive zone.
The goals just weren’t falling.
That changed Tuesday in Dallas, though the moment was bittersweet. Geekie finally snapped the 12-game drought with a deflection goal late in a blowout loss. Not exactly a highlight-reel moment, but a goal’s a goal.
“I thought it would matter more,” Geekie admitted. “It sucks when you’re in it, but we’ve been winning the whole time. Obviously, you want to have personal success, but it makes it pretty easy to come to the rink when you win eight, nine games.”
That team-first mentality is part of what’s made Geekie such a steady presence in the lineup. He wants to score-no doubt about it-but he’s not forcing it at the expense of the group. Instead, he’s leaned into the Bruins’ depth, watching teammates step up while he keeps grinding.
“I want to produce, I want to help the team win,” he said, “but I’m OK to take a back seat and watch other guys do it, for sure.”
And it’s not like he’s been invisible. Geekie’s been snakebitten more than anything-ringing iron, missing by inches. He’s still getting to the right spots, still creating.
“If those pucks go in, we don’t really talk about anything,” he said. “I know it’s kind of lucky, but I’ve said I feel like I’ve been unlucky for a long, long time.”
He’s not wrong. In Thursday’s 4-3 win over Vegas, Geekie didn’t score, but he picked up a pair of assists and continued to impact the game in other ways. That playmaker’s mindset is still part of his DNA.
“I’ve never been someone who shoots the puck a ton,” he said. “I always try to look for the better play. That’s just how I was brought up.”
That approach was on full display during the Bruins’ power play success, where puck movement and vision created high-quality looks. For Geekie, that’s hockey at its best.
“To me, that’s just good hockey and that’s the result I’m always looking for,” he said. “Recently I’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of those. It’s fun to play set-up man every once in a while.”
Loose Pucks:
The Bruins-Canadiens rivalry has always had a bit of an edge, and this season’s matchups have delivered right from the opening draw. In both meetings, fights broke out immediately after puck drop. Head coach Marco Sturm shrugged it off with a smile.
“Both times, I actually didn’t [plan it]. I really didn’t,” Sturm said. “And it happened, so maybe I should.”
Sturm did ice physical presences in those games-Nikita Zadorov in Montreal, Tanner Jeannot in Boston-but insisted the early fireworks weren’t part of a pregame script.
“I just want to play and I’m one of those coaches who wants to have a good start,” he said. “Maybe not just fighting, but just overall having a good start.
But the players chose to go that way. That’s OK, too.”
With a winter storm barreling toward the region, the Bruins are getting ahead of the weather. The team planned to fly out immediately after Saturday night’s game to New York, where they’re scheduled to take on the Rangers on Monday.
For Geekie, the flight might offer a chance to reset-not just from the storm, but from the pressure that comes with being the guy expected to score. The goals will come.
The chances are still there. And with a little patience, so is the payoff.