Last season, the Boston Bruins traded Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers, ending a long tenure with one of their beloved players while sitting at the bottom of the standings. Now, things have changed. The Bruins currently occupy the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and Morgan Geekie said it will be a different NHL trade deadline for the team, according to Bruins' beat writer Bridgette Proulx.
“It kind of feels polar opposite, to be honest. I think this group's done a great job of kind of putting ourselves in the position to stand pat or add guys, whatever they see fit,” Geekie told Proulx.
The Bruins are currently 33-20-5 with 71 points, leading the Washington Capitals by four points for that final wild card spot. That is a stark difference from last season, when they were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Now, the Bruins' trade deadline could go in almost any direction, but they likely won't be selling like last season.
Things have gotten better in Boston, and David Pastrnak leads the team with 72 points. Geekie has also emerged, with 33 goals (leading the team) and 55 total points (second on the team). Those two have powered the Bruins, who are sixth in goals, fourth in shooting percentage, and third on the power play. It has also sparked a different atmosphere in the Bruins' locker room.
“It's a results-driven business, and I think for us, it's just kind of a testament to what we've done all year and just continue to build. So you can kind of feel it every game, we know we give ourselves a chance to win, regardless of who we're playing. So, it's a lot more fun, for sure,” Geekie added.
The Bruins came out of the Olympic break strong, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2. Next, they will battle the Philadelphia Flyers as they look to sustain their momentum.
