Conflict Reported Between Jim Montgomery And Brad Marchand
In the faceoff with the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday, our Boston Bruins' captain, Brad Marchand, took charge of the offensive onslaught. His performance included firing off eight shots on net and sealing the deal with an overtime goal. The very next day, up against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Marchand pulled off something extraordinary—a natural hat trick in a mere eight minutes during the third period, securing a solid 3-1 victory for our Bruins. Unfortunately, in our recent matchup with the Buffalo Sabres, Marchand managed the lone goal in a 3-1 defeat for our Boston squad.
While in Toronto, our insider Fluto Shinzawa caught wind of Marchand trying out some new sticks during the morning skate. He even experimented with a longer stick before ultimately going back to his trusty wooden one, citing, "Too many people in my head." Some folks speculated that this might be a subtle dig at our head coach, Jim Montgomery, who's been rolling out a new system in Boston, prompting Marchand to make a few tweaks.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman in his latest "32 Thoughts" column, Marchand briefly touched on some clashes between him and Coach Montgomery. Marchand spilled the beans that Montgomery made changes to our breakouts, moving away from a more fluid, read-and-react style to a more structured approach. Marchand cracked a joke about his inclination to stick to the old ways, but the coach prefers the new method for increased familiarity.
«[He] then told us that coach Jim Montgomery made a change to their breakouts. It used to be about reading and reacting to each other.
"With all of the changes, Montgomery demands more structure, and Marchand joked that there are times he wants to do things the old way, but the coach prefers this method until there is more familiarity.»
With recent departures of key leaders like Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, David Krejci, and Patrice Bergeron, Marchand, the Bruins new captain, is offering a fresh perspective on the team dynamics. He's giving us a peek into what goes down in the dressing room and during practices.
Despite the occasional pushback from Marchand, it seems the Bruins trust Coach Montgomery's decisions, especially when they lead to success on the ice. This dynamic shows that the team relies on Jim Montgomery to guide the Bruins to another playoff appearance, even if there are some differences with the captain.
Marchand's season stats are impressive, with 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 25 games, putting him in second place on the team, just behind David Pastrnak's 36. Despite potential disagreements with his coach, Marchand is on track to hit a point-per-game or better for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.
Previously on Bruins Insider
NHL players in this story
Brad MarchandTorey KrugDavid Pastrnak| POLL |
8 DECEMBRE | 1040 ANSWERS Conflict Reported Between Jim Montgomery And Brad Marchand Are you a fan of the way Jim Montgomery runs the Bruins? |
| Yes | 684 | 65.8 % |
| No | 356 | 34.2 % |
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