Love is a long road.
This season is going to be a long road.
People who post here are intelligent, most are educated, everyone is passionate, opinionated, and we all have our expectations, hopes and dreams for our favorite hockey team. It is what makes us one the most astute fan bases in all of sports.
New England sports fans are not satisfied with simply winning and making the playoffs, New England sports fans have grown to expect championships. We expect results. The Bruins have played in the Stanley Cup finals 20 times and won 6.
Since I have been a fan of this team (1967-68 I started following / 6 years old) they have appeared in the finals 10 times and won 3. 7 other times they lost in the conference finals. Only 8 times did they fail to qualify during that span; qualifying 47 times. We have been spoiled, is it any wonder our expectations are so high? And that is just within hockey circles and not taking into consideration of the success of the city's/region's other sports teams upon our expectations.
I have seen many coaches come and go; some good, some not so good. But every new season regardless of who is behind the bench my expectations remain the same - win; make the playoffs, win the Stanley Cup. The regular season is a qualifying round. It doesn't matter where you finish as long as you make the playoffs. The ultimate goal is the Cup. Once in, it's all about matchups and a whole lot of hoping and praying that things fall your way. Very rarely have the Bruins ever been 'favorites' to win the cup.
It has been a long road.
Welcome Jim Montgomery! Don Sweeney, despite some other head scratching moves, ineptness/hesitancy, previous successes, and at times inability to grasp the obvious, appears to have made a sound choice by selecting Montgomery to be the next coach of the Boston Bruins. Others here have previously listed Montgomery's accomplishments, spoken of his previous coaching style, and his previous player relationships. Reviewing everything sports related he appears to be a winner at different levels throughout his career. And when one has been a repeated winner at any level it creates expectations - expectations for one's self and expectations of those around you. Winning breeds winning.
Sweeney, while maybe not really wanting to fire Cassidy, came to realize that is was time for a change. Cassidy was successful and is a good coach but change was at hand, a pruning of the plant if you will. With Montgomery there will be a new energy/vibration in the room, an excitement of expectations, and a fresh start for all the players. And most importantly, the continued expectation and tradition of winning (past track record at different levels).
As far as choice of hire - I'll grade 'the hire' itself a solid 'A-'.
Montgomery does not come without his concerns, and there are risks with any individual who is hired to perform a job. We all know the general reasons for why he was let go in Dallas. But I am a firm believer in second chances, from learning from one's mistakes, maturation and self-discipline. By all accounts he has taken steps to correct the situation in his personal life and keep it under control. We as fans need to extend our support and understanding the same way we would to a person with cancer in remission. His coaching knowledge and ability make him a very qualified choice; his demons aside. As fans we need to be mindful to keep the two separate; the professional and the individual. We are part of one of the best fan bases in all of sports, let's show the world why with our respect and class.
As others have said - there is no way to grade his impact upon the team until there is a body of work to evaluate. Some have said they need to wait until Thanksgiving, others until after those injured are back in the line up, and a few until after the season. I am of the mind set of wanting to hold off judgment/evaluation until this time next year. Under the circumstances this seems only fair. There may be struggles this year, especially early on ... this should be something as knowledgeable fans that we understand is a real possibility regardless of who is the coach. We are a reactionary passionate fan base ... how a team handles adversity may show more about it's character and leadership than smooth sailing; same could be said for it's fan base.
Still, there is a new season on the horizon and my hope for a successful campaign once again springs eternal. There is a long way to go until the drop of the first puck and a lot can change between then and now. I won't stop believing, I won't stop hoping. Bruins hockey is in my blood; love is a long long road.
been watching the Bruins since 92 so I'm well aware of what he did. No history lesson needed
