Jim Montgomery Calls Out The Officials After Their Loss

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Austin Sabourin
November 13, 2023 (0:10)

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Upon anointing Brad Marchand as the 27th captain in franchise history ahead of the centennial season, the Boston Bruins triggered discussions surrounding the forward's spirited reputation.

While Marchand has unquestionably exhibited maturity over his 14 seasons with the Spoked-B, his penchant for getting under opponents' skin and occasional boundary-crossing have incurred a toll, resulting in 28 games of suspension for the 35-year-old.

General manager Don Sweeney and head coach Jim Montgomery have witnessed Marchand's leadership both on and off the ice. However, after the Bruins' overtime loss to arch-rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, Montgomery openly criticized the captain.

In the third period with the Bruins trailing 2-1, Marchand found himself removed from a play he believed should have drawn a penalty. Expressing his discontent to referee Chris Lee, Marchand's comments led to a penalization for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"Can't take those penalties. It's inexcusable,"

declared Montgomery in his post-game remarks to reporters, emphasizing the roles of referees and players in the game.

This season, Marchand has incurred seven penalties, with this incident marking his first for unsportsmanlike conduct. The captain offered no excuses for his actions.

Despite Marchand serving time in the sin bin, the Bruins thwarted the Canadiens' attempts to capitalize on the man advantage.

Marchand's power-play goal at 12:58 of the third period leveled the score at two, forcing overtime. However, he acknowledged the need for improvement in handling such situations.

"I don't know how it gets any more obvious than the call that he missed there," Marchand remarked after the loss, recognizing his emotional lapse. "But, I can't let my emotions get the best of me there. It is what it is."

The defeat snapped a 10-game winning streak Boston held over Montreal since the 2019-2020 season. The Bruins aim to initiate a new streak when they host the Canadiens on Saturday night, marking Montreal's sole visit to TD Garden this season.

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