Bruins’ Jim Montgomery admits blame for humiliating Game 3 loss to the Panthers.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Boston Bruins have a tough matchup against the Florida Panthers. On Friday night, Boston held home ice advantage in Game 3. They sure did not play like it. Boston failed to get much going against the Panthers, and Florida ultimately won. After the game, head coach Jim Montgomery made no apologies.
The Boston bench boss spoke to the media after the game, as he normally does. And the 2023 Jack Adams Award winner made it clear that he bears responsibility for his team’s poor performance. “Our execution in the last two games has just been inadequate, and this is entirely my problem. “I’ve got to be better,” Montgomery told ESPN.
Specifically, the Bruins’ head coach mentioned how the team has started games. Aside from the first game, Boston has started slowly. That was especially true on Friday night, when they managed only three shots in the opening period. This is completely unacceptable, especially on home ice.
“We’ve had a couple of games where we started slow,” Montgomery told ESPN. “We haven’t created much offense. I need to offer the players a better plan. Florida performed substantially better than us. I need to come up with a better strategy.”
Jim Montgomery talks Brad Marchand injury
On Friday night, the Bruins suffered a significant setback. Team captain Brad Marchand left Game 3 after being hit by Panthers forward Sam Bennett. Marchand continues to play shortly after the hit. However, an upper-body ailment prevented him from playing in the final session.
Montgomery did not provide an update on the Halifax native after the game. He stated that the squad would receive further information about the seriousness of the injury on Saturday. But he did discuss the impact Marchand’s absence had on his teammates. “I thought we rallied because of our captain,” he told ESPN. “I thought our players all elevated their games and we started competing like Brad Marchand would have.”
Boston’s rally in Game 3 supports this notion. The Bruins struggled offensively for the majority of the game, but broke through in the third. In the final stanza, Jakub Lauko scored, cutting Boston’s deficit to 4-1. Jake DeBrusk then scored his fifth goal of the playoffs, bringing the game within two goals. Prior to these tallies, the Panthers had scored ten consecutive goals.
Marchand has generally performed well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He scored eight points in the first four games against the Toronto Maple Leafs in round one. In the first two games versus Florida, he scored a point each. Overall, Marchand has three goals and ten points in the playoffs.
Bruins players also take responsibility
Jim Montgomery accepted the blame for the media. He was not the only one who accepted responsibility for the team’s dismal performance in Game 3 against the Panthers. DeBrusk informed reporters that the players share some of the blame for this outcome.
“We are the ones who are out there.” We are the ones who are playing the game. “He can put any plan in place that he believes will help us, but we have to execute,” the Bruins forward told ESPN. “It’s about making the correct judgment, which we obviously didn’t do. To beat a team like that, you must play nearly flawlessly. And the last two games have shown what happens when we don’t.”
Montgomery did not specify what changes he will make ahead of Game 4. But he and his players recognize that things must change. If they don’t, Boston may end up in a hole they can’t get out of. That would be another disappointing postseason finish for this excellent bunch of guys.
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