Geekie’s Big Night: Bruins Rally Past Canadiens Behind Power Play Surge
BOSTON - Before the puck even dropped at TD Garden on Saturday night, Morgan Geekie was already soaking in a moment he won’t soon forget. Standing by the boards during warmups, the Bruins forward spotted his family - wife Emma, daughter Gabby, and newborn son Max - watching from the glass. It was Max’s first game, and Geekie made sure it was one for the family scrapbook.
By the end of the night, Geekie had netted two power-play goals, including the game-winner, as the Bruins clawed back for a 4-3 win over the rival Montreal Canadiens. That’s eight wins in the last nine games for Boston, but this one felt a little more personal.
“It was nice to share that with [Max],” Geekie said postgame. “It will always be something we remember.
It’s always good to see some familiar faces on the glass. It always means a little more when you go out there.”
He made sure to grab both goal pucks - one for each kid. Whether or not Gabby’s willing to hand one over to her baby brother? That’s a story for the ride home.
On the ice, Geekie’s performance was a statement. After going quiet for a 12-game stretch, he’s now scored in three straight, with Saturday’s game-winner marking his 100th career goal. Talk about timing.
“I thought he had a good jump today,” said head coach Marco Sturm. “He was skating, he wanted the puck - it was a good game for him.”
But this wasn’t just about one player. It was a classic Bruins-Canadiens showdown - fast, physical, and full of momentum swings.
Montreal struck first. Cole Caufield, who had himself a night, opened the scoring with a quick snapshot at 6:36 of the first period. Then Boston’s power play got to work in the second.
Viktor Arvidsson tied things up at 1:45, crashing the crease and finishing off his own rebound after a slick feed from Fraser Minten. That was Arvidsson’s 12th goal of the year - and third in his last five games - as he continues to find his rhythm in front of the net.
Caufield answered right back with his second of the night, also on the power play, to put the Habs up 2-1. But the Bruins didn’t flinch.
After a high stick on Sean Kuraly sent Boston back to the man advantage, David Pastrnak took over. He powered into the zone, flipped a pass over a Canadiens stick, and found Geekie waiting on the doorstep. Geekie buried it to tie the game at 2-2.
“Every player goes through stretches like that,” Pastrnak said of Geekie’s scoring slump. “He came up big for us. It’s good to see.”
Caufield wasn’t done, though. He completed the hat trick - and gave Montreal a 3-2 lead - with a sharp-angle wrister while the Bruins were shorthanded at 13:29 of the second.
But Boston came out in the third with purpose. Fraser Minten, who’s been making a strong case for more ice time lately, tied it up with a backhander at 13:55 - his 13th goal of the season and second point of the night.
“Huge,” Minten said. “Especially a comeback win in the third - I don’t think we’ve been able to do that yet this year. Huge points for our team, and to do it on a big stage Saturday night like that, it’s awesome.”
Just seconds later, the Bruins were back on the power play. And with the momentum fully in their corner, they didn’t waste it.
Charlie McAvoy set up Geekie at the left point, and the forward ripped home his second of the night to give Boston a 4-3 lead at 14:07. It was his 28th goal of the season - a team-high - and his 10th on the power play, also tops on the roster.
“It’s an excellent character win,” said goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who stopped 22 shots. “The way we came back and had life in the third when it mattered is really important for our group. We weren’t going to let those 20 minutes slip.”
Now the Bruins turn their attention to the New York Rangers, with a Monday night showdown at Madison Square Garden on deck. But for the Geekie family, Saturday night will be hard to top - a memorable win, a milestone night, and a front-row seat for Max’s first NHL game.