The Boston Bruins head into Thanksgiving with a 14-11-0 record and hanging around an Eastern Conference playoff berth. It's somewhat surprising that the Black and Gold are in the current position they are in, given the number of injuries they have had pile up.
Currently, defenseman Charlie McAvoy and forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Casey Mittlstadt are on injured reserve. Their depth is being tested, and it's not as deep as one would hope it would be. With that said, here are three reasons for Boston Bruins fans to be Thankful this Thanksgiving.
1. Morgan Geekie
When the Bruins re-signed Morgan Geekie over the summer, it wasn't a surprise. General manager Don Sweeney signed him to a six-year, $33 million deal. The question was, would he continue to produce the way he had the last two seasons? So far, so good.
He has 17 goals, which had him tied at the top of the league lead with Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon. He has done a lot of his damage on the top line with David Pastrnak, but they have been broken up recently. They were put together on Sunday against the San Jose Sharks, and Pastrnak set up Geekie for his 17th goal of the season. Could he score 50 goals this year? It's possible at his current rate.
2. Jeremy Swayman
If the Bruins were going to hang around in the standings and have a bounce-back season, it woud have required Jeremy Swayman to have a better season than he had in 2024-25. So far, that has been the case. It was on Wednesday night when he made 42 saves on 43 shots in a 3-1 win over the New York Islanders.
Now, there have been some clunkers this year, and there is bound to be some for every goalie, but for the most part, he has been as good as the Black and Gold need him to be. Can he keep it up? If Boston is going to be in the playoff picture in March, he'll have to.
3. Brandon Carlo trade with Maple Leafs
It can't be said enough, this continues to be the gift that keeps on giving. The return for Brandon Carlo from the Toronto Maple Leafs was Fraser Minten and a first-round pick. Minten has been thriving in Boston and key piece to the lineup for coach Marco Sturm, including killing penalties.
As for Carlo, he's injured, and the Maple Leafs are already reportedly looking to trade him. He was recently listed on the first Trade Board at Sportsnet, which is music to Bruins fans' ears after the return they got. Toronto is currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and dealing with multiple injuries. Imagine if they miss the playoffs and the Bruins end up with their first-round pick?