Bruins fire Jim Montgomery, name Joe Sacco interim head coach

[Nogatco Rd]

He just about single-handedly cost them the 2023 first round series after the record setting regular season with one of the worst anxiety attacks of a coaching display I've ever seen in the NHL.

Can you expand on that?

 

[SI90]

Oh these are the guys who were wrong constantly about Swayman. Cool... maybe they got this right?... I guess?...

This was before the season I believe.

 

[JPeeper]

Ruthless, guy coaches back to back 100+ point teams and gets canned after a bad 20 game stretch with a downgraded roster. Maybe blame the players for the first round chokes, laughable to put that on Montgomery.

Swayman is rocking a GAA of 3.47 and SV% of .884 after 14 games played. How is that on Montgomery that his starting goalie holds out until he gets paid then plays like an AHL 3rd stringer.

 

[Jee]

PLEASE DON'T SPECULATE THE REASONS

 

[crowi]

As mentioned above, Ducks should get him immediately. They won't.

 

[RedHawkDown]

Yzerman should be all over this but of course he won’t because he is embarrassingly loyal to the shit tier front office staff he hires.

 

[JPeeper]

I should also note, any Flames fan could have told you that throwing $13 mil at Lindholm and Zadorov was a stupid move. Lindholm no showed a contract year and they still threw $55 mil at him. Holy shit, I thought his AAV was $7 mil not $7.75 mil. Give me old man Kadri any day.

 

[AcerComputer]

Talk about no loyalty. Coach has like NHL record for most wins the last two seasons. After a middling start this year (essentially .500% team), they cut him loose. Absolutely insane!

 

[FMichael]

Yet Yzerman keeps Lalonde around…

Yup…As much as I’ve been wanting him gone since the end of last season - I’m certain Lalonde will finish off his contract which ends after this season.

 

[Mongo]

Hate this to be honest. I felt the bruins over achieved last year with a few players having career years that Sweeney hoped would continue with career years I guess.

Sweeney didn’t really have a good offseason giving the money they did to Lindholm and Zadorov. Then the horrible contract dispute with Swayman.

It seems this core likes to give up when things get hard for them. Gave up on Cassidy, giving up on Monty. They’re a quarter of the way into the season and somehow, even with how bad they’ve been they’re still in the hunt for a playoff spot.

I’ll be curious how this will play out for the rest of this season and this upcoming offseason.

 

[McGarnagle]

Can you expand on that?

Ullmark visibly injured and unable to move laterally in games 4 through 6 and he leaves him out there to dry, then switches to an ice cold Swayman who hadn't played a game in 2 1/2 weeks for the do or die game 7.

Hall, Coyle, and Debrusk carrying the offense through four games, then reinserting an injured Bergeron and Krejci back into the lineup and reducing the ice time of the aforementioned. Also not being able to make up his mind and shuffling Bertuzzi and Debrusk between lines 1 and 3 the last few games.

Grzelcyk getting blamed for Ullmark's turnover in game 5 then getting scratched for Clifton, who got thoroughly abused by the Panthers in game 6. Taking McAvoy away from Gryz, his regular partner all year long and putting Orlov with him having not played together before. Forbort being put into the lineup after a month off.

It was a series of bad decisions, but the worst was the lack of accountability that he showed in every interview during and after the series. He lost me then and there.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

 

[Master P]

I wonder if Chicago picks him up?

 

[FMichael]

Was at the Bruins/Stars game last week…Swayman struggled and the team looked listless.

Can we swap coaches - Monty for Uncle Fester?

 

[wintersej]

You can tell how many people here have been watching the Bruins and how many people like to have opinions about things they are low information about.

 

[SI90]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1858895919405477991

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Bruins problems weren't Montgomery's fault.

But Boston will do Boston things.

 

[HuskyBruinPride]

Sydney Sweeney would do a better job.

At least the games would be worth watching...

Dumping a guy with a .715 points percentage as your coach to replace him with Joe Sacco is a comically poor decision.

I'm not thrilled about Sacco but 1) he's only intermediate and 2) what else did you expect them to do after the abysmal start? Even Steve Wonder saw this firing coming. Monty may or may not be the big problem, but something had to be done.

 

[HuskyBruinPride]

Talk about no loyalty. Coach has like NHL record for most wins the last two seasons. After a middling start this year (essentially .500% team), they cut him loose. Absolutely insane!

So they were supposed to just waste the season away by sucking like they have?

 

[BTO]

Clean house! Fire Bob Essensa too!

(Not because he actually should be fired - but because I want one of my teams to hire him and pay him handsomely!)

Yeah Goalie Bob is the only guy in the entire franchise I wouldn’t fire or trade. Sorry lol.

 

[BTO]

No team has won more games since Sweeney was GM?

How many Cups?

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Bruins have been unimpressive, but isn't it a little early for a desperation move?

 

[tucker3434]

I didn’t get why they fired Cassidy.

Bruins held on longer than they should due to some excellent goaltending. It’s going very much the other way this year.

 

[Master P]

Bruins have been unimpressive, but isn't it a little early for a desperation move?

Better than being too late I suppose.

 

[NinjaTurtle]

I’m thinking Detroit should bring Montgomery in. Strong track record in 2 organizations; has to be an upgrade on Lalonde. Yzerman needs to cast aside loyalty and go for it.