Geekie Stays Hot, Meier Scores For Devils in 4-1 Loss

 

Photo: Andrew MacLean

Saturday night at TD Garden was a clash of wills with the Boston Bruins finally earning back-to-back wins for the first time in weeks, defeating the New Jersey Devils, 4-1. While the Bruins celebrated the victory behind three goals from different players—including the scorching Morgan Geekie, who scored for the tenth time in nine games—the Devils showed significant resolve by immediately answering the Bruins’ first strike. Despite dropping their fifth game in a row, New Jersey broke a 146-minute shutout streak when Timo Meier quickly tied the game late in the first period, a critical moment showing that even through a rough patch, this team has the talent to push back. Ultimately, the night belonged to Boston netminder Jeremy Swayman, who was flawless after the first period, making 29 saves to secure the crucial home victory.

New Jersey Devils Lineup:

Meier - Hischier - Noesen

Palat - Mercer - Bratt

Gritsyuk - Glass - Brown

Cotter - Glendening - Crookshank

Siegenthaler - Hamilton

Dillon - Hughes

Cholowski - Nemec

Allen

Markstrom

Boston Bruins Lineup:

Steeves - Lindholm - Geekie

Mittelstadt - Zacha - Arvidsson

Jeannot - Minten - Kastelic

Khusnutdinov - Kuraly - Eyssimont

Lindholm - Peeke

Zadorov - Aspirot

Lohrei - Soderstrom

Swayman

Korpisalo

Fraser Minten scored his fourth goal of the season when he put the Bruins in front 1-0 late into the opening period with 2:18 left on the clock. Mark Kastelic set him up after stealing the puck from Simon Nemec in the corner, passing over to the right face-off circle for Minten to send a snap shot behind Jake Allen. Only 57 seconds later, Timo Meier tied it up 1-1 when he tapped in a rebound behind Jeremy Swayman after Nico Hischier tipped a point shot by Luke Hughes off Hampus Lindholm's skate. It was Meier's sixth goal in nine games.

Early into the middle frame, Morgan Geekie put Boston back ahead 2-1, breaking the tie on their sixth shot on goal of the game, first of four in the second. He was set up by Elias Lindholm for a one-timer to the left of the net at 18:48 for his 22nd goal of the season. New Jersey nearly tied it back up when Jonas Siegenthaler had a point shot that hit the right shoulder of Swayman before it went off the left post.

Casey Mittelstadt recorded his sixth goal of the season when he gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead with 3:35 on the clock in the third period when he took Pavel Zacha's pass, tapping it in past Allen above the crease before Andrew Peeke scored an empty-netter for the 4-1 final 2:14.

Notes:

- Jeremy Swayman made a total of 29 saves for Boston, and Jake Allen made a total of 17 saves for New Jersey.

- Morgan Geekie's 22 goals in 30 games this season are his second-most in an NHL season behind 33 goals in 77 games last season. ...He has the third-most goals by a Bruin through 30 games in the past 50 years, and is behind Cam Neely (34 in 1993-94) and David Pastrnak (25 in 2019-20).

- The Bruins are 17-13-0, and have won consecutive games for the first time since a seven-game winning streak (October 28th-November 11th).

- The Devils are 16-12-2, and have lost five straight for the first time since December 9th-20th, 2022.

- Luke Hughes recorded the secondary assist on Timo Meier's goal, reaching 108 NHL points (18 goals, 90 assists), tying with Barry Beck for the fourth-most by a Devils defenseman at 22 years old or younger. Both trail Scott Niedermayer (139), Joe Cirella (117), and Rob Ramage (111).