The Boston Bruins have gotten their leading goal scorer from last season back on the scoresheet, and he’s caught some fire. 

After starting the season with one goal in the first 14 games, Morgan Geekie has goals in each of the last four games. He is now tied for third on the Bruins’ roster with five goals this season, and his three power-play goals are tied for the team lead. 

Geekie shrugged the slump off as it was happening; it’s easy to do that when the Bruins are at the top of the Atlantic Division. He also mentioned prioritizing quality shots, which helps to explain the 21.8% shooting percentage and 72 goals over the last two seasons. 

“I’ve always thought that a quality shot is better than a quantity shot. And I think that’s maybe in some cases the wrong mentality, but just kind of how I’ve always played,” Geekie said in late October. “But it’s one of those things where, you know, maybe you have to change your mentality a little bit when you don’t see pucks go in.”

Geekie started the season with one goal on 17 shots, or a shooting percentage of 5.9%. He also carried an average of 1.21 shots per game. Since then, he’s scored four goals on 12 shots, a 33.3% shooting percentage, while averaging three shots per game. 

“Just opportunity,” Geekie said on Monday when asked about increasing his shot volume. “I think I was passing up a few to begin with. I also think, lately, I’ve been finding myself kind of on that left side where I like to be, and I’ve had a few shots on the power play. Especially (Sunday). Just try to find those little spots that I think you maybe get away from when you’re not getting shots, and try to get back to them. My game doesn’t change a whole lot when things aren’t going in, but when they are, I feel like you find yourself in those spots a little bit more than normal.” 

The opportunities are coming on the power play. Geekie averaged 2.5 shot attempts per game at 5-on-5 over his first 14 games, and that number has not changed over the last four. His shot attempts in all situations, however, have jumped from 3.57 to 5.5 per game, according to Natural Stat Trick. 

Geekie hasn’t made any changes to his game during his goal-scoring streak either. He has a selective approach to his shots, but when they start to fall, the confidence comes back. 

“Not much changes. I think when you have that confidence to kind of shoot the puck, I think you see yourself taking a few more opportunities to do so and being less afraid to do it,” Geekie said. “It doesn’t really change how I’m playing or anything like that, but I think when you find yourself in spots where maybe you wouldn’t shoot before, you have the confidence to shoot it just because you’ve seen it go in the last few games.” 

Geekie has also been dangerous from the left circle, where he has found success on the power play. He beat Florida’s Jacob Markstrom with a slap shot from a tight angle on Sunday to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead in the first period. 

It’s a spot that Geekie has become comfortable shooting from over the last few seasons, and Marco Sturm dropped the names of two players he knows well as good examples. 

“It is. It really is, and that’s why sometimes he’s the forgotten guy over there, because he has that weapon. It’s a tough angle. So it’s not like everyone can shoot it from there, but he knows it. Even as a goalie, it’s hard, because they know it’s coming,” Sturm said. “But just like Ovechkin, it’s one of those guys. You know at one point it’s coming, but it’s hard to stop because he’s that good from that angle.”

“I really don’t see too many guys [like that],” Sturm added. “I touched on Ovechkin. Leon (Draisaitl) is definitely from the other side. Maybe I’m missing a guy, but I don’t think there’s too many.” 

Geekie’s ability to score from the left circle gives the Bruins another option on the power play, one that has struggled to find its footing early this season (18.3%, 26th). It’s not a shot that every player has, as Sturm pointed out, and Geekie also name-dropped Draisaitl to reporters in Brighton after an optional skate on Monday. 

“Yeah, I feel like that shot kind of just came about the last few years. I mean, Draisaitl scores 30 goals a year from there. You know, it’s kind of a copycat league, as everybody says. If one of the best players in the world is doing it, you see it kind of pop up throughout the league,” Geekie said. “Guys getting in that spot that I don’t necessarily think was always a goal-scoring spot at one point, but Dave put it right in my wheelhouse, and you kind of just got to pick the spot. He hit the pass really well, and I was able to sneak it in before (Markstrom) got over. It’s a little tougher shot, but it’s more of just hit the net and less pick your spot.”