BOSTON — Following the Boston Bruins’ impressive 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames at TD Garden on Thursday, head coach Marco Sturm shared insight into his plan to assist center Morgan Geekie in overcoming his current scoring slump.
Sturm advised Geekie to emulate Viktor Arvidsson’s playing style from that game, even though Arvidsson has also struggled to find the net recently. Despite scoring once in the past month, Arvidsson’s positioning and play-making contributed significantly to successful scoring opportunities for his teammates, demonstrating the importance of being in the right spots on the ice. Sturm acknowledged, “What I would recommend for him to do, is play like Arvy today. Why did Casey score? Why did Mason score? Because of Arvidsson.”
The coach emphasized that being actively involved in difficult areas on the ice is key to breaking free from a scoring drought. Sturm intends to dedicate time during Friday’s practice to work directly with Geekie, highlighting the learning process necessary for young players. “He’s still a young player, still needs to learn to deal with that and come out of that,” Sturm noted.
Geekie, currently with 25 goals this season, is aware of his goal-scoring lull which has spanned since December 20, but he remains optimistic. He mentioned his strategy for overcoming the dry spell, saying, “Just trying not to overthink it. I hit a couple of posts in Vancouver. It could have gone either way.” Geekie also touched on his superstitions, revealing that he sometimes alters colors of his tape or sticks in hopes of shaking off the slump.
“It’s mental,” Geekie explained. “When you’re used to seeing pucks go in, but keep shooting, keep putting pucks on net, giving yourself chances to score. The tide will turn at some point.” Drawing a parallel to his childhood in baseball, he noted that breaking out of a scoring slump in hockey is akin to overcoming a hitting rut in baseball, stressing the psychological aspects at play.
The Bruins organization is steadfast in supporting Geekie as he navigates through this phase, demonstrating their commitment to developing his potential and getting him back on track offensively. With a focus on mentorship and practice, there is hope that Geekie will regain his scoring touch, contributing further to the Bruins’ success this season.