Montgomery shares how only one line gets the Green Light from him
Jim Montgomery has brought the perfect balance to this Bruins lineup which has led to a clear result of success this season.
Without sacrificing the defense first structure that Bruce Cassidy perfected during his tenure, Montgomery has incorporated a lethal offense that has made Boston a two-headed monster in the NHL.
One factor is the offensive freedom he's given to one line in particular. That being the trio of David Pastrnak, David Krejci and Pavel Zacha, or the �'Czech Line'' they're sometimes referred to.
Scott McLaughlin shared an interesting discussion he had with the Bruins bench boss regarding that line's struggles in the defensive end.
Below is the conversation he had with Montgomery:
''You said that line's expected goals is almost 50%?''
McLaughlin: �'It's actually a little below.''
Montgomery: �'Well, I do think that the last 10 days have not helped that, but they can be 50% [in expected goals] and you can still end up plus-20 goals at the end of the year because they're more talented than the people they usually play. So, it's kind of a line you don't mind trading chances with, because they're usually going to end up on the right side of things.''
McLaughlin: �'So they're kind of the one line out of four that can play that way?''
Montgomery: �'Yeah, they're the only ones that have that green light. I mean, Bergeron and Marchand would probably have that green light, too, but they don't play like that.''
So, basically he's saying that even though Pasta, Krecji and Zacha have struggled in their own end at times, they're still going to outscore almost anybody they match up against.
It also shows how lucky Bruins fans are to to have a coach like Montgomery now. He's so transparent with the media so we have a full insight on how the team is run and what to expect with the team's play. It's very refreshing.
NHL players in this story
Pavel Zacha
David Pastrnak
McLaughlin: �'It's actually a little below.''
Montgomery: �'Well, I do think that the last 10 days have not helped that, but they can be 50% [in expected goals] and you can still end up plus-20 goals at the end of the year because they're more talented than the people they usually play. So, it's kind of a line you don't mind trading chances with, because they're usually going to end up on the right side of things.''
McLaughlin: �'So they're kind of the one line out of four that can play that way?''
Montgomery: �'Yeah, they're the only ones that have that green light. I mean, Bergeron and Marchand would probably have that green light, too, but they don't play like that.''
So, basically he's saying that even though Pasta, Krecji and Zacha have struggled in their own end at times, they're still going to outscore almost anybody they match up against.
It also shows how lucky Bruins fans are to to have a coach like Montgomery now. He's so transparent with the media so we have a full insight on how the team is run and what to expect with the team's play. It's very refreshing.
NHL players in this story
Pavel Zacha
David Pastrnak
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