The law of the goal scorer\u2019s averages said Morgan Geekie had to hit an iceberg sooner or later. That time has arrived.<\/p>\n
Geekie had scored 50 goals in the calendar year of 2025, finishing strong last season and picking up where he left off to start this one. But going into Thursday\u2019s game against the Calgary Flames at the Garden, Geekie had gone seven games without a goal, his worst slump since he started to be recognized as a bona fide goalscorer in the middle of last season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just trying not to overthink it,\u201d said Geekie after the morning skate at the Garden. \u201cI hit a couple of posts in Vancouver, could have gone either way. I\u2019ve just been fighting it a little bit. I guess you change the color of your tape or sticks or something like that. I\u2019m trying not to put too much weight on it. I feel like I\u2019ve been pretty lucky the last year or so that everything seems to have gone in, so it\u2019s kind of about time that this would happen. Just one of those things that everybody goes through.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Vancouver game, which the B\u2019s won in overtime, was indeed his best game recently and he was his most noticeable self, getting three shots on net and hitting the aforementioned posts twice. But in the first three games of the five-game road trip, he landed just one shot on net in each game. In the trip finale in Seattle, he landed two shots on net but was having some difficulty handling the puck and accepting passes. That could well be the signs of the old \u201csqueezing the stick\u201d syndrome.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got to remember that it\u2019s the first time in 40-something games in,\u201d said coach Marco Sturm. \u201cIt\u2019s actually a pretty good stretch, so don\u2019t kick yourself. Also, he\u2019s been scoring a lot of goals, probably more than everyone expected, so there\u2019s a lot of good things. He\u2019s got to remember that. And he\u2019s got to simplify his game, too. That\u2019s part of being a hockey player, part of being a goalscorer. Everyone goes through it. Now he\u2019s got to go back to simplify his game a little more. He\u2019s got to work his way out of it and not think about it too much because he\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
A little over a year ago, people might not have noticed his slump as much because he was considered by many to be a quintessential bottom-six forward. But there is no denying that his blistering shot has a special quality. Geekie\u2019s 103.3 miles per hour slapper in the B\u2019s November 11 win over Toronto remains the hardest shot recorded this season in the NHL.<\/p>\n
Expectations, Geekie acknowledged, have changed, both from outside the room and when he looks in the mirror.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I have a higher standard for myself now knowing that that\u2019s something I can do,\u201d said Geekie. \u201cBut it\u2019s a long season. Like I said earlier, I\u2019ve been pretty fortunate the last little while. The pucks have gone in. That\u2019s hockey. I\u2019m sorry I don\u2019t have a better explanation but it\u2019s one of those things everyone goes through and you try to get out of it as quick as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Geekie said he\u2019s trying some adjustments that may not mean much in the long run but could mentally help him get over the hump, comparing it to a slumping baseball player changing his batting stance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think guys go about it in different ways,\u201d said Geekie. \u201cSome guys don\u2019t change anything and it\u2019ll come back to normal eventually. \u201cAnd then other guys try to change everything just for a spark, whether it works or not and then you go back to your old ways. I feel like I kind of meet in the middle on both those things. I change my stick and my curve and then I\u2019ll probably go back to what I was using the last little while. Hopefully that works.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sturm has also been doing his part. In the Seattle game, he reunited him with David Pastrnak mid-game in what at least seemed like an effort to get him unlocked. Going into Thursday\u2019s game against the Flames, he was to have new centerman, Fraser Minten, along with wing Alex Steeves.<\/p>\n
Geekie has not played much with the 21-year-old Minten and was looking forward to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think as a young kid, you get a little pigeon-holed sometimes believing there\u2019s one right way to do things. I think he\u2019s done an awesome job just showing his maturity in being able to play on both sides of the rink,\u201d said Geekie. \u201cObviously, he played with Dave really well in their stint together. He does penalty killing, now he\u2019s on the power play. I think that shows how much of a complete player he is at such a young age. He\u2019s going to keep getting better. He\u2019s a great player already.\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n
Hampus Lindholm, who suffered an undisclosed injury last Saturday in Vancouver, was back on the ice skating before the team session.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say that\u2019s good news. He\u2019ll be out this week and we\u2019ll see this weekend where he\u2019s going to be at. Hopefully he\u2019ll be back soon,\u201d said Sturm.<\/p>\n
Lindholm had been placed in injured reserve and would be eligible to come off for Sunday\u2019s game against the Penguins.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something for the doctor\u2019s to decide,\u201d said Sturm\u2026.<\/p>\n
Joonas Korpisalo was set to get the start against the Flames. His last win was on December 11 and has started only two games since then, losses to Ottawa, when he gave up five goals on 17 shots and was pulled, and to the Sabres on the first game of the road trip.<\/p>\n
Sturm was asked if he had figured out just how much he can ride Jeremy Swayman. Swayman played the previous four games and was very good in the first three before having a rough outing in Seattle.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt always goes by feel and where we\u2019re at as a team. Are we winning? are we losing?\u201d said Sturm. \u201cThe last couple of games, we had two days in between so he had plenty of rest. There are different factors. Moving forward, you will probably see a different pattern to it when it gets too much for Sway that we will have to settle him down and get him a little more rest, yes. That\u2019s what we\u2019re going through now. At the end of the day, we want to win the hockey game and a lot of times I feel like \u2018Who gives me the best opportunity?\u2019 Lately it\u2019s been him a lot. Today, we\u2019ve got to rely on Korpi. He\u2019s been OK, too, but hopefully he\u2019s going to be better tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
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