Morgan Geekie and Marco Sturm got the kind of timely boost every scorer needs when Joe Pavelski reached out before Boston's game.

That is what makes this story so good.

A veteran star saw a young player fighting it and decided to step in.

According to the report shared from the ESPN broadcast, Pavelski met the Bruins on their road trip and sent a long message through assistant coach Steve Spott for Geekie.

Then came the perfect twist.

Geekie read it before the Carolina game and snapped a 17-game drought with a hat trick.

That is the human side of hockey fans never get tired of.

A respected veteran takes a minute to help, and the message lands right when it is needed most.

It is fun, sure.But it is also powerful for a player whose confidence may have been starting to slip.

A veteran voice can change everything

Young players hear coaches every day.

Sometimes it still takes a fresh voice from someone who has lived the same grind.

That is why Pavelski's gesture matters.

He was not scoring the goals himself, but he may have helped Geekie feel like himself again.

And for a scorer, confidence is everything.
Once it starts coming back, the game usually looks a whole lot simpler.

There is something great about the other side of it too.

Veteran players with real influence often enjoy giving back because they know how hard slumps can hit.

Pavelski has that kind of voice.

When a player with his background reaches out, it does not feel like noise or empty encouragement.

For Geekie, it had to mean something.

Not just because of the hat trick, but because somebody outside his own room took the time to believe in him.

That can stay with a player for a long time.

One message can settle the mind and remind a guy he does not need to force everything.

Boston will care about the result on the ice.

But this story goes deeper because it shows how much players can still impact each other away from the game.

That is why people love stories like this.

Joe Pavelski gave Morgan Geekie a lift, Geekie answered in a big way, and hockey looked a little more personal again.