Jim Montgomery Taking Positives Away From Loss to Sabres
The Boston Bruins faced their first preseason setback, a 4-1 defeat to the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Tuesday night. In contrast to their earlier 3-0 preseason victory, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery found silver linings in the loss.
Montgomery praised Jesper Boqvist's performance, highlighting his intelligence and responsibility on both ends of the ice. He also commended Ian Mitchell and Matt Grzelcyk for their offensive contributions as defensemen. Overall, the defensive core received accolades, despite needing improvement in their defensive zone coverage. Both goalies, Michael DiPietro and Kyle Keyser, made crucial saves throughout the game.
While the Bruins managed just one goal, they created several scoring opportunities, attempting 38 shots compared to Buffalo's 35. Although they went 0-for-3 on power-play chances, Montgomery acknowledged the team's offensive improvements and emphasized the need for defensive refinement moving forward.
Oskar Steen prevented a shutout by capitalizing on a rebound from Mason Lohrei's shot in the final period.
Montgomery noted a more energetic second period, even though Buffalo scored. He observed increased intensity from the Bruins' defensemen, resulting in extended offensive zone time and more net-front presence.
As the regular season approaches, the Bruins have four remaining preseason games to fine-tune their performance.
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