Carolina Hurricanes: Morgan Geekie’s Surgical NHL Debut

Carolina Hurricanes’ forward Morgan Geekie just needed a chance to show what he could do. He grabbed the moment, ran with it, and turned in a clinical and memorable NHL debut.

I’ve been a fan of Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Morgan Geekie since the moment he was drafted. I declared myself the unofficial conductor of the Geekie hype train during preseason. I pinned him as a Charlotte Checker to watch months ago, and I wrote about his steady development.

My point is that I’m both proud of what he accomplished in his NHL debut yesterday and completely unsurprised. The kid can play. I think he’s got that ‘it’ factor needed for the NHL.

Whatever he may lack in top end speed, he makes up for with phenomenal hockey sense and always being a step ahead. That was on full display yesterday, and he outclassed the elite Evgeni Malkin on all three of his scoring points (2 g 1 a).

Before I get into the qualities of his game that stood out yesterday, let me rapid fire hurl his numbers at you.

Geekie’s Stat Line

In his Carolina Hurricanes debut, Geekie took 17 shifts totaling 10:22 TOI. Of that, 1:45 was on the power play and 1:07 was on the penalty kill. As he continued to build a game, he was utilized in all situations and displayed excellent versatility.

In addition to his points, he posted a plus-3 rating and was on the ice for four of the team’s goals. Both of Geekie’s shots found the back of the net. Since he’s shooting 100% in his NHL career, he should probably hang the skates up while he’s ahead.

He took his first minor penalty for interference, but it was the result of effort, so moving on. He won 6 of his 14 face offs for a 42.9% success rate, and that’s pretty darn good considering he was lining up against Sidney Crosby, Malkin and company.

On the defensive side of the puck, Geekie threw one hit, had one takeaways to no giveaways, and blocked four shots. Of everything he accomplished yesterday, the blocks, symbols of selflessness and commitment to the whole game, were the cherry on top.

As far as individual plays go, Geekie had many that stood out in his Carolina Hurricanes debut. My notepad from the game is a mess so I’m going break this into two sections.

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Plays Without the Puck

In the first period, his defensive zone IQ was on display. He was effective playing low in the slot. When the defenseman pressured, Geekie slid over to cover the strong side post effectively. When the puck trickled towards the crease after the Penguin’s shot attempt, it was Geekie that corralled it, cleared it of danger and led a breakout. In a word, he collapsed well.

In the second period, Geekie had a shift in which he was just exceptional on the forecheck. He played heavy, and he put a lot of pressure on the Penguins’ defenders. His persistence led to a stifled breakout and a near chance for the Canes.

Geekie earned some power play time, and he made the most of it. He wasn’t credited with a point on Gardiner’s goal, but his awareness to park himself in the slot and create a net front screen was excellent. It takes a lot of guts to stand in front of Gardiner when he’s unleashing a cannon like he did.

If you thought he was done after earning power play time, I’m happy to report that he got to play on the penalty kill, too. Go with the guys that are rolling, right? On said penalty kill in the third period, Geekie blocked a couple shots and led a shorthanded rush in which he nearly set up Jordan Martinook. That would’ve been Geekie’s fourth point, Martinook’s third, and the world as we know it surely would have ceased to exist.

Scoring Plays

Geekie’s first NHL goal could be considered a prime example of how to think the game of hockey. It began with his winning a draw. As the puck is moved around the perimeter, Geekie made his way to the front of the net with his stick on the ice. Jake Gardiner saw him cutting and put a beauty of a slap-pass right in the wheelhouse to be redirected.

What I want to highlight quick about this goal is the importance of having right handed centers. That play was only possible because Geekie and Gardiner were operating from their respective natural sides. It makes the catch and release action that much smoother at full speed.

For his first NHL assist, Geekie earned a secondary helper on Jaccob Slavin’s goal. Once again, it began with him winning a face-off. And once again, as Slavin walked the puck out at the point, Geekie made his way to the front of the net and adjusted along with him. It created a perfect screen and the shot found the twine.

For his second goal of the night, Geekie took everyone on the ice to school on sticking with a play. His strength on the puck below the goal line was evident as he used all of his 6′ 3″ frame. I first noticed his ability to protect the puck with his body in preseason, and I saw it again here.

After he got knocked down, he popped right back up, went to the net, and banged home a lucky bounce off Martinook’s centering feed. It was a shift of beauty from Geekie.

Final Thoughts

Morgan Geekie’s clinic yesterday put a face to a name we had been hearing rumblings about for some time. We have a greater understanding of what it is that the Carolina Hurricanes’ front office sees in the kid. He’s an exceptional two-way player with size and hockey IQ to compliment it. It may have only been his first step into the NHL, but it was a massive one.

I expect he’ll be a mainstay in the NHL for a long time. Hopefully he’s with the Hurricanes since they’ve been rightly patient with his development. They knew now was the right time to put him under the lights. This has been (according to my Twitter bio) the unofficial conductor of the Morgan Geekie hype train, signing off.

Have a great rest of your Monday, Canes fans!

Question for CC Readers: What did you think of Morgan Geekie’s NHL debut?