Geekie’s Overtime Heroics Topple Kings for Bruins

Post by : Mara Rahim

In a gripping encounter, the Boston Bruins secured a vital 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night, propelled by Morgan Geekie's impressive performance, scoring both of Boston's goals. The decisive moment arrived just 2:27 into overtime, rejuvenating the Bruins after a series of setbacks with three losses in their last four outings.

The overtime scene unfolded when David Pastrnak expertly maneuvered the puck close to the blue line and passed it to Geekie. In one swift motion, Geekie unleashed a powerful shot from the upper right circle, beating Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper and clinching the win. This marked Geekie's second consecutive outing with multiple goals, now placing him at the top of the scoring leaderboard with 16 goals, tying with Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon.

The Bruins benefited from the solid play of defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who contributed two assists, while goalie Jeremy Swayman was a crucial figure, denying 31 of 32 shots and keeping Boston's hopes alive during critical moments when the Kings sought to seize control.

The Kings forced overtime late in the third period after Joel Armia netted a short-handed goal with 6:57 remaining in regulation, marking his third of the season and placing him at the top of the league in short-handed scores. His goal came on a rebound after Swayman initially saved a fast break, leveling the match at 1-1.

Up until that point, both teams battled to a scoreless draw through the first two periods despite several excellent scoring opportunities. The Bruins held firm against a challenging 5-on-3 penalty situation in the first period, with Swayman executing an outstanding glove save against Adrian Kempe's strong shot.

The Kings nearly took an early lead in the second period; during a power play, Kevin Fiala hit the post, the puck bouncing off Swayman's back before the Bruins managed to clear it. Such moments highlighted the Kings' struggle to convert their chances into goals.

Boston was not without opportunities either, striking the post twice towards the end of the second period. Riley Tufte hit the crossbar with 4:10 to go, followed by Pastrnak’s shot clipping the post with just 1:23 left, keeping the match scoreless.

Finally breaking through, Boston found the net at 8:01 in the third period, when Alex Steeves facilitated a perfect cross, enabling Geekie to launch an unstoppable shot into the top corner. It appeared that the Bruins might take firm control after this goal.

However, the Kings quickly retaliated, and after a Bruins power play, Armia's short-handed equalizer at 13:03 shifted the momentum, culminating in the tie that persisted through regulation until Geekie's overtime heroics.

Despite outshooting the Bruins 32-26 and failing to capitalize on five power plays, the Kings fell short, marking their third consecutive defeat and reflecting a challenging start in their home games this season.

In contrast, the Bruins emerged revitalized and confident. Geekie’s outstanding performance coupled with Swayman’s strong goaltending provided a much-needed lift to Boston as they advance in the season.

With this victory, the Bruins aim to harness their newfound momentum, while the Kings face the pressing need to enhance their finishing capabilities in upcoming games.