BOSTON — Three days ago, Morgan Geekie had a goal disallowed, took a puck in the face and thought he had a broken cheekbone in a Bruins shootout loss to the team that released him.
Thursday was better.
As it turned out his face wasn’t broken and he wouldn’t need extra helmet protection. He scored his first NHL hat trick and helped lead the Bruins to a 5-4 win over the defending Stanley Cup champs at TD Garden.
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“I would have said it’s karma for the puck to my face,” Geekie joked. “I don’t know if I ever dreamed about (getting a hat trick). But it’s something I’ll never forget for sure. I’m definitely going to cherish it for sure.”
There have been more good days than not for Geekie and the Bruins, a marriage that has rewarded both sides. The Bruins pounced when the Kraken let him go during the offseason and the versatile 25-year-old already has career highs in goals (13) and points (30) and he needs just two assists to set that personal best.
“You just try to do the right thing at both ends of the rink and hopefully good things happen,” he said. “I’ve been building my game the last few. It was good to see a few go in.”
Geekie said being a Bruin has more than lived up to his expectations.
“It’s been great. Signing here, it’s a storied franchise,” Geekie said. “You know what you’re walking into and the people who have come before me. It’s definitely all I can ask for and more. … Anytime you can join the Presidents Trophy winners from the year before, being a part of that would be great. I didn’t come in with any expectations. I just wanted to be part of the culture they have and what they were building. Everything else is icing on the cake. I’m happy to be a Bruin.”
