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Now 17-13-0 in a rebuilding campaign, while by no means a league powerhouse, the Bruins have remained resilient, particularly considering the absences of McAvoy, their franchise defenseman, and Pastrnak, among the game’s elite goal scorers.
“For me, it’s all about structure,” said coach Marco Sturm. “I personally experienced that in Los Angeles with the Kings, in the minors. The system we play, the structure we play, when everyone buys in a lot of times it doesn’t matter who’s in and out [of the lineup]. You still need good players, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve seen that movie before.”
Noting, like all coaches do, “there is nothing that we can do with the injuries,” Sturm again underscored the importance of system, meaning method of play and adhering to the game plan.
“I think the guys know it too now,” added Sturm. “They know they can rely on the system and it works, especially when guys are out.”
Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman gets hug from teemmate Mark Kastelic after Swayman had 29 saves in Boston’s victory.Steven Senne/Associated Press
Geekie is two goals behind Nate MacKinnon for the league lead after he popped home No. 22 at the 1:12 mark of the second period.
Alex Steeves, one of the roster finds amid the torrent of injuries, was not awarded an assist on the 2-1 strike, but he made a key move to advance the puck in the zone, with Elias Lindholm eventually the one to shuttle it cross-slot. Before goalie Jake Allen could cover the left post, the wide-open Geekie struck with a lightning-quick snap high into the net.
Geekie gains more confidence in his shot with each game.
“Just the mentality’s the big one,” noted Geekie, asked if it seems the game has slowed down for him amid his red-hot scoring pace. “I think I’ve said it before, it’s just having the confidence to be in those spots and put good shots on net, and then the confidence to make plays too. But I think that’s spreading throughout the lineup. Our entire line [is] making plays. Other guys are contributing too. So it’s something super special.”
Geekie, 27, has 52 more games to equal his career-high 33 goals of last season. His pace could bring him 60 — reached before in Bruins history only by Pastrnak and Phil Esposito.
Devils goaltender Jake Allen tries to defend as a shot by the Bruins’ Fraser Minten flies into the net for a goal in the first period.Steven Senne/Associated Press
Without back-to-back wins since the start of November, the Bruins opened up the night’s scoring with 2:18 to go in the first period, Minten popping in a short-range snap shot from near the edge of the left wing faceoff circle.
Mark Kastelic, playing the Wayne Cashman emeritus position (owning the right-wing corner), shoveled out the feed for his fifth assist of the season. The hulking Kastelic is tough to knock off the puck, making corner work a role Sturm is likely to try to exploit as the season unfolds.
“I’m just getting more comfortable playing wing,” a happy Kastelic said post-game, when asked about his corner work, “and that’s just part of it.”
The 1-0 lead lasted all of 57 seconds, erased at 18:39 when Timo Meier swatted in a loose puck from Swayman’s doorstep. The initial shot by Luke Hughes came in from the left point, was tipped by Nico Hischier and finished off by the alert Meier for his 11th goal of the season.
It was the lone shot to beat Swayman, who improved his record to 12-7-0. He has been on fire since the start of November, now 9-3-0 in his last 12 starts.
The Devils have slipped of late, shut out in back-to-back games before arriving here. The loss was their fifth in a row. It has been lean times in Newark. The distant sons of Marty Brodeur have played in only four playoff rounds since their loss to the Kings in the 2012 Cup Final, beating only the Rangers in Round 1 in 2023.
Boston Globe Sports Report host Ben Volin chats with the former Bruins goaltender.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.