Morgan Geekie scored again last night in Pittsburgh, his third goal in three games, in a 6-2 Bruins win.
Both Bruins beat writers Jack Studley and Conor Ryan flagged it as it happened. Three of his four goals this season now sit inside this stretch, which says plenty about how quiet the start was.
Conor Ryan noted that Geekie made it three goals in three games when the Bruins went up 5-2.
The goal was only part of Geekie's night. He also set up Fraser Minten for the 6-2 goal with a stretch pass, finishing with a goal, an assist and a +2 rating.
He did it in 13:44 of ice time with two shots on goal. Nobody is asking him to carry the offense, and he isn't.
Jack Studley pinned down the timing, writing that Geekie scored with 3:03 left in the second period.
That goal turned a three-goal game into a two-goal lead the Penguins never threatened again.
Why Geekie's run matters for the Bruins' depth
Geekie sits at 13 points through 17 games, and two of his four goals have come on the power play. That is a useful second-unit scorer for a team that is 12-4-1 and first in the Atlantic.
Minten is the other half of that story. He has six goals of his own, and the Bruins have already made clear that Fraser Minten is off limits in trade talks.
With Geekie feeding him, the supporting cast looks like it is doing its job. Don Sweeney has little reason to panic about forward depth right now, and the numbers back that up.
The Bruins have won three straight and are +24 in goal differential. It is the depth behind the 12-4-1 start that keeps showing up in games like this one.
Next up is a visit from the Panthers on Sunday, Nov. 8, a good test of whether Geekie can stretch this run to four games.
Quick hits
CALGARY FLAMESKevin Bahl is out tonight against the Ducks with a lower body injury, the team just announced. That is a blow to the back end on short notice.
INJURYNHL Rosters reports that the Utah Mammoth have placed Kailer Yamamoto on injured reserve. Depth forwards matter, and Utah will feel this one.
FLORIDA PANTHERSMatthew Tkachuk and the Panthers head to Washington for a Saturday matinee against the Capitals. Then they come to Boston on Sunday.
TRADE BUZZPierre LeBrun said Islanders GM Mathieu Darche "will surely try" to land Nikita Kucherov. The Kucherov watch just got a new suitor.
LOS ANGELES KINGSZach Dooley reports from Friday's practice that Alex Turcotte and Kevin Fiala are moving closer to a return. Good news for a Kings lineup that needs bodies back.
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