Bruins fire Jim Montgomery, name Joe Sacco interim head coach

[SoundAndFury]

For sure. And if it's a results centered league why is the GM given a free pass there? Look at some of the names on the 2015-16 Bruins roster in Sweeney's first season as GM: Bergeron, Krejci, Pastrnak, Vatrano, Marchand, Eriksson, Chara, Krug, Dougie Hamilton, Seidenberg, Rask, and a host of decent support players. That's basically what the GM was gifted, along with the infamous 2015 first round picks he blew.

Compare that with the roster today after around a decade of Sweeney at the helm. It's laughable. Not much accountability for the GM, but the winningest NHL coach since 2022 is the one who gets canned because he can't make slow unskilled players faster and offensive weapons, or make an overpaid goalie save shots.

Because NHL teams are business ventures. You think most owners follow the NHL and have idea who good player or bad player is? Sweeney's goal is to make money for the owner. In that sense he was very successful, icing competitive team that sells out the arena every year and even making the finals one time which is as much money as you can realistically make.

Roster construction and "asset management" is for hockey nerds, not billionaires behind the hockey clubs.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

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.

That’s right, now I’m remembering. At the time it seemed like a bunch of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” type decisions where you could make a compelling case for both sides - keeping guys in who were playing well that series, vs disrupting chemistry to go back to the status quo roles established during the season.

I spent all year watching Orlov and Hathaway (two of my favorite players) and got the sense they didn’t always quite fit in with the Bruins. Maybe some responsibility lies with Sweeney for tinkering a bit too much with a proven winner?

 

[McGarnagle]

That’s right, now I’m remembering. At the time it seemed like a bunch of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” type decisions where you could make a compelling case for both sides - keeping guys in who were playing well that series, vs disrupting chemistry to go back to the status quo roles established during the season.

I spent all year watching Orlov and Hathaway (two of my favorite players) and got the sense they didn’t always quite fit in with the Bruins. Maybe some responsibility lies with Sweeney for tinkering a bit too much with a proven winner?

Orlov was great down the stretch. In the playoffs Monty couldn't make up his mind on who to pair him with. Hathaway was a f***ing bust though. Completely neutered his game and did nothing here.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

The GM should be gone instead.

Signing Lindholm + Zadorov to big money deals and the goalie situation was awful business.

 

[Albatros]

Because NHL teams are business ventures. You think most owners follow the NHL and have idea who good player or bad player is? Sweeney's goal is to make money for the owner. In that sense he was very successful, icing competitive team that sells out the arena every year and even making the finals one time which is as much money as you can realistically make.

Roster construction and "asset management" is for hockey nerds, not billionaires behind the hockey clubs.

I do think most (or very nearly) owners are well aware of which players make the most money, at least.

 

[BLONG7]

Another example of the Jack Adams Award curse.

How many winners have been fired within the next two seasons ?

The Jack Adams winner, and some of the best goaltending always seem to be linked.
The award does always seem to get the coach fired shortly thereafter.

 

[Gliff]

For the love of god, please be coming to Anaheim.

 

[Over the volcano]

Firing two great head coaches begs to differ. Cassidy and now Montgomery.

Flip side of that coin is that he's apparently great at hiring head coaches too.

 

[John Price]

Never should have fired Cassidy. Meanwhile Cassidy got his ring while Montgomery managed to win only one playoff series and disappointed massively.

And agree that Sweeney should have been gone long ago. He's the problem, not the solution.

 

[GMR]

Detroit should hire him today.

 

[LuGBuG]

For the love of god, please be coming to Anaheim.

As much as I agree the last 3 games have probably bought Cronin more time.

 

[Voight]

Liked Don Sweeney as a bruin defensemen, but what has he actually done to deserve staying GM for as long as he has?

Absolutely fumble the first round of the 2015 draft?

 

[sr edler]

What's been the main issue with the team so far this season? Goalie? Ds? Scoring? A bit of everything?

 

[PaulD]

$wayman killed the great room , and f@#%ed with the Bruin culture.
Then when he finally did join the boys to play he $hits the bed.

What's been the main issue with the team so far this season? Goalie? Ds? Scoring? A bit of everything?

$wayman sucks
McAvoy sucks.
Carlo seems lost.
Zadorov ... Big but what else?
Lindholm is not a second line center.

 

[Terrier]

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

What's been the main issue with the team so far this season? Goalie? Ds? Scoring? A bit of everything?

I've always believed the best teams build from the middle out. In my opinion the Bruins' center depth, once their massive strength, is now a massive weakness. Bergeron and Krejci are gone, and in their place their top three centers - Lindholm, Zacha, and Coyle - have a combined total of 12 assists over the first 20 games (none of those three have missed a game). MacKinnon singlehandedly has more than double that, in one less game. Barkov singlehandedly has more than all three combined, in only half the games.

With Marchand starting to show the effects of time and recent multiple surgeries, their only player that seems able to create any offence is a winger (Pasta). As a result, they're second-last in the league in goals scored per game, with even the woeful Sharks scoring more.

How much of this is Monty's fault is debatable, but to me Sweeney and Neely are like Shapiro and Atkins are to the Blue Jays. And that is clearly not meant as a compliment.

 

[luiginb]

Monty's scuffle with Marchand was the writing on the wall imho

 

[BHD]

So is Sacco the interim for the rest of the season?

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

 

[BB79]

It's nice to see Wu and Monty both being held accountable

Monty's scuffle with Marchand was the writing on the wall imho

I was thinking the same. Marchy is well liked by his teammates, if he was rifting with Monty, maybe they decided to pull an Oilers and play like an AHL team to get him fired. At least that's what I'm hoping

 

[HuGo Sham]

Firing a coach who's 120-41-23 record (.715 points percentage) in three seasons reeks of desperation.
Sweeney probably couldn't make that shakeup trade so the next step is firing
the coach.
No C strength and breaking up that goalie tandem might have killed one of the elite teams in the east.
We'll see if Swayman can shake off the rust and save the team - the D is still quite strong

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Because NHL teams are business ventures. You think most owners follow the NHL and have idea who good player or bad player is? Sweeney's goal is to make money for the owner. In that sense he was very successful, icing competitive team that sells out the arena every year and even making the finals one time which is as much money as you can realistically make.

Roster construction and "asset management" is for hockey nerds, not billionaires behind the hockey clubs.

IMHO, most honest HF post, ever.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

What's Lindy Ruff up to? I'd give him a call.

 

[luiginb]

What's Lindy Ruff up to? I'd give him a call.

What?? I think he's busy atm

 

[BB79]

What's Lindy Ruff up to? I'd give him a call.

He's kinda already coaching a team, but coaching 2 at the same time would be a hell of a trick