In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, forward Morgan Geekie has taken a positive step with his recovery from his undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, Jake DeBrusk ended a four-game pointless streak against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 18. Could this spark the 2015 first-round pick to get back on track? Furthermore, Charlie Coyle has had a great start to the season and is not showing signs of slowing down. Let’s discuss all of this and more in today’s (Nov 20) Bruins News & Rumors column.
Geekie Returns to Practice
It appears that Geekie is making some progress with his undisclosed injury, as the 25-year-old forward returned to practice in a non-contact jersey for the Bruins yesterday (Nov. 19). The offseason addition has not played since Nov. 6 against the Dallas Stars, so it is good to hear that he feels good enough to skate again, even if wearing a non-contact jersey.
So far this season, Geekie has been a decent addition to the Bruins’ roster. In terms of offense, he has not made the biggest impact, posting one goal and three points in 12 games played. However, his defensive game has been solid, and getting him back in the lineup will be good because of it.
While it is likely that Geekie will miss a few more games, it is encouraging that he has resumed skating. Here’s to hoping that everything continues to go swimmingly with his recovery and that he can return to game action shortly.
DeBrusk Looking to Heat Up
After putting together the best season of his career in 2022-23, DeBrusk had high expectations heading into the new campaign. However, this season has been a bit of a letdown for him offensively thus far, as he has just one goal and six points in 15 games. Given his skill level, this production is far too low, and one has to wonder if he will pick it up soon.
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DeBrusk has been showing signs of improvement over the last few contests, and, as mentioned above, he ended a four-game pointless streak with an assist against the Canadiens in the last game. Now, the hope is that this will be the start of a much-needed hot streak for him.
When noting that DeBrusk scored 27 goals and had 50 points in 64 games last season, it is hard to bet against him turning things around. Let’s see if he can do just that over these next few games and onward.
Coyle’s Staying Hot
Coyle’s play is a big reason for the Bruins’ early success this season. The Massachusetts native has filled in beautifully as a top-six center in their lineup, and the points are really starting to come for him. Over his last four games, the 6-foot-3 center has three goals and six points.
Since arriving to Boston, Coyle’s strong all-around game has made him a valuable part of their lineup. However, the extra playing time this season is starting to impact his offense positively, and that is excellent to see. In 16 games now, he has five goals, 14 points, and a plus-3 rating. It is hard to expect anything more than that from him.
The Coyle, James van Riemsdyk, and Trent Frederic trio have become a treat to watch, and if they continue to mesh this well moving forward, the Bruins will be in wonderful shape moving forward.
Bruins Facing Off Against the Lightning
The Bruins have a big divisional battle tonight (Nov. 20) against the Tampa Bay Lightning (8-6-4) at Amalie Arena. While the Lightning are without star netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, they will still be a tough challenge for the Bruins due to their star players like Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Brayden Point. Let’s see if they can steal two points in Tampa Bay from here.