Morgan Geekie and Marco Sturm left TD Garden with a loss, but the Bruins forward made sure the fans were the first thing he talked about.

That says a lot after a 2-1 loss to the Lightning.

Boston had a chance to give the building a big late-season win and could not finish it. That is the hard part.

But Geekie did not hide from that feeling. He leaned right into it.

He said the Bruins have the best fans in the league, then gave a line that hit because it was honest.

He brought up getting booed off the ice last year when the team was not very good, and said those same fans are now right back with them.

That, to him, is the whole point.

What Morgan Geekie told Bruins fans after loss is getting major attention

He said it shows the passion the city has, and that is exactly the kind of quote Bruins fans usually respect.

Because in Boston, people do not want fake praise. They want players who understand the deal.

Geekie sounded like he gets it. He also called the city hard-nosed and blue-collar, and said that is how the Bruins like to play the game.

That line matters too, especially after a night where Boston did not get the result it wanted. It is one thing to talk about identity when you win.

Here is the full quote :

“We have the best fans in the league. I mean, to be getting booed off the ice last year when we weren’t very good, and now they’re right back with us this year. It kind of just shows the passion that the city has.”

“Everybody knows how hard-nosed and blue-collar the city is, and that’s kind of how we like to play the game.”

“It’s too bad we couldn’t get it done for them tonight at home, but we’ll just try to do it again on the road.”

It means more when you say it after a loss and still stand by what the crowd brings every night.

Geekie also made sure not to sugarcoat the end of it. He said it was too bad the Bruins could not get it done for the fans at home, but added that the club will try to do it again on the road.

That is a simple quote, but it works because it sounds like a player who knows the team left something on the table.

And from a Bruins angle, that may be the real takeaway here. The loss hurts, no question.

But Geekie's words sounded like someone who understands exactly what the building asks for and exactly how much the room still wants to give back.

After a 2-1 defeat, that is not nothing. In Boston, fans can handle losing a game.

What they need to hear is that the players understand who they are playing for. Morgan Geekie made that part crystal clear.