Leading 1-0 late in the second period of Tuesday night's Game 2 first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres, the Boston Bruins are hoping to get to the end of the period with a lead for the second straight game through 40 minutes.
At center ice and near the red line, the Bruins' leading goal-scorer, Morgan Geekie, was looking to dump the puck into the Sabres' end deep to get a full line change. Well, things went according to plan in terms of getting the puck deep, and you could say it went well beyond the plan.
Geekie's backhander fluttered through the air toward Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Aside from allowing a Viktor Arvidsson goal earlier in the period, Luukkonen had stopped everything thrown his way. Until Geekie's floating backhander.
Coming out to attack the puck in front of his crease, the puck bounced past him and into the net for a 2-0 Boston lead. It was one of the more bizarre postseason goals allowed. Pavel Zacha added a late power play strike for a 3-0 Boston lead through two periods. After the game, Geekie took the high road when asked about the goal.
Bruins forward Morgan Geekie takes the high road after scoring a strange second-period goal
Arvidsson added his second goal of the game, 16 seconds into the third period, for a 4-0 lead. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff pulled Luukkonen at that point in the 4-2 Black and Gold win. After the game, Geekie avoided any bulletin board material and took the high road when asked about the goal.
“He’s a good goalie, he’s played good so far, obviously made a couple huge saves,'' said Geekie. "Obviously, you hate to see those go in, regardless of who it is.”
Look, Geekie could have buried Luukkonen and thrown out some bulletin board material out there, but he didn't. He took the high road. That goal, along with some others, has Ruff with some Game 3 decisions for Thursday night at the TD Garden between the pipes. Does he go back to Luukkonen or does he turn to Alex Lyon, who the Bruins chased out of their 2023 first-round series against the Florida Panthers? Decisions become tougher in the postseason.
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