In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, forward Matt Poitras and goaltender Linus Ullmark both left the Bruins’ game against the Arizona Coyotes early due to injuries. In other news, Morgan Geekie kept his hot streak going against the Coyotes, posting two assists. Lastly, Jesper Boqvist scored his first goal as a Bruin against the Coyotes and is starting to make a case to stick on the team’s fourth line. Let’s discuss all of this in today’s (Jan. 10) Bruins News & Rumors column now.
Poitras & Ullmark Injured vs. Coyotes
The Bruins’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Coyotes was frustrating in more ways than one. Besides only getting one point, both Poitras and Ullmark left the game before its completion due to injuries.
In the opening minutes of the third period, Poitras threw a hit on Coyotes defenseman Sean Durzi and fell awkwardly on the ice. From there, the 19-year-old left the ice in pain while holding his shoulder. Ullmark, on the other hand, left the contest with 2:40 left in overtime after making a save on Logan Cooley. From there, he was helped off the ice by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jake DeBrusk.
Following the game, head coach Jim Montgomery only noted that Poitras suffered an upper-body injury, while Ullmark suffered a lower-body injury. The severity of their injuries has yet to be determined. With both players being big parts of the Bruins’ roster, the club is hoping that neither player will need to miss too much time.
In 30 games this season, Poitras has five goals, 15 points, and a plus-4 rating. Ullmark has a 13-5-2 record to go along with a 2.75 goals-against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage (SV%) this campaign.
Geekie Staying Hot
While the Bruins’ overtime loss was a tough one to swallow due to the multiple injuries suffered, one bright spot of the contest was Morgan Geekie. The club’s offseason addition kept his hot streak going against the Coyotes, as he picked up two assists on goals by David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk. With this two-assist night, Geekie now has two goals and six points over his last four games.
Related: Bruins News & Rumors: Pastrnak, Montgomery, Goalies & Forbort
While Geekie had a bit of a slow start with the Bruins this season, he has only gotten better as the season has rolled on. He has formed excellent chemistry with Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak on the first line and is proving to be one of the Bruins’ top free-agent signings from the last offseason because of it.
At 25 years old, Geekie was viewed as one of the Bruins’ top breakout candidates heading into the 2023-24. When looking at how well he is playing this season, it is fair to say that he is doing just that. In 34 games this season, he now has eight goals and 20 points. With that, he is rapidly approaching his career-high of 28 points, which he recorded last season in 69 games with the Seattle Kraken.
Boqvist Scores First Goal With Bruins
The Bruins’ contest against the Coyotes was a special one for Boqvist, as he scored his first goal since joining the Original Six club. It was a nice goal, too, as the 25-year-old took the puck from the defensive zone all the way to the Coyotes’ end before roofing it past Connor Ingram.
.@jesperboqvist buries his first goal with the #NHLBruins! pic.twitter.com/TnejI2cE3o
— NESN (@NESN) January 10, 2024
Boqvist has looked solid on the Bruins’ fourth line over their last three games, and he is helping his case to stick around with the NHL squad because of it. With the club’s fourth line not producing much offense this season, perhaps he could be an answer to help change that. As seen by his goal, he has a nice shot.
