Management Montgomery fired - Sacco named interim coach Sacco - Blues hire Monty

[JCRO]

They should’ve cut ties with him prior to the start of this season.

ON3man explained it well above. They built a team that really didn’t fit his coaching style. They also refused to allow him to hire his own staff. What the hell was the point of letting this continue? No extension in sight. Probably for the sake of his coaching record I guess.

Anyways, good for Jim. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him coach up that Blues team and get them into the playoffs this year for a solid first round exit where his team didn’t show up for a full 60 mins. But I ain’t salty or anything

 

[Dr Hook]

They should’ve cut ties with him prior to the start of this season.

ON3man explained it well above. They built a team that really didn’t fit his coaching style. They also refused to allow him to hire his own staff. What the hell was the point of letting this continue? Probably for the sake of his coaching record I guess.

Anyways, good for Jim. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him coach up that Blues team and get them into the playoffs this year for a solid first round exit where his team didn’t show up for a full 60 mins. But I ain’t salty or anything

According to Dom, the bolded part isn't true. Both Bruce and Monty were given the options to clean out and get replacements in and both chose to keep the guys already on staff.

 

[McGarnagle]

The whole thing smells fishy. At this point I am glad he's gone.

I'm grateful that Sweeney was assertive and moved on before things could get really toxic and destroy the season

 

[Alicat]

I'm grateful that Sweeney was assertive and moved on before things could get really toxic and destroy the season

Same. I just wish this happened before the season started.

 

[Fenway]

 

[KillerMillerTime]

I believe they were up 3-1 when Bergeron was put back in the lineup. Bergeron was hurt, he wasn't a healthy scratch. He had barely skated in a few weeks, no need for him to be put in.

Hey Patrice, were up 3-1. We're cooking here, lets give you more time to heal up and we can re-evaluate.

I guess Ulmark had to play injured also..

Bergeron was never healing up with a herniated disc. His career was ended by it.

 

[xStanleyCupsFor]

I listened to it and don't think Ty's take is BS. Monty specifically didn't answer the question and got a little animated in with his response.

Monty knew STL was interested. They would have signed him after Toronto G7 if he lost that game. I think Monty knew then that's where he wanted to be. It's where his wife is from and wants to be. It's why Monty turned down extension offers...

Monty had 1 foot out the door. I don't think he deliberately coached to lose, that doesn't make any sense, I just think he knew and the players knew he was leaving after this year and that helped contribute to the awful start.

It's also why the buzz phrase the day after Monty was "going forward with people who want to be here."

This seems like a fairly reasonable assessment of events. No grand conspiracy, no deliberate sabotage. His heart wasn't in it even if he thought it was, and the players knew it. He sure was beaming in that interview with his new coaching gig.

 

[bobbyorr04]

A conspiracy theory is no longer a theory ...if it's true

Monty sure looks happier in St Louis

 

[GordonHowe]

A conspiracy theory is no longer a theory ...if it's true


Monty sure looks happier in St Louis

He sure does. Good luck to him,

 

[IveGotToBeMe]

Well well, Monty had a lot more to say in his first Blues interview than his recent "I don't have an answer" B's post game comment.

I say don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on your way out! Good riddance.

 

[PlayMakers]

This makes more sense to me than all this talk of collusion. I think people, as usual, are reading way too much into things. We don't know what the nature of the contract talks were between Monty and the Bruins management. Maybe he had a good enough sense that they were looking to move on, or were just hard-balling him, and maybe he knew St. Louis was a possibility.

I don't think any NHL coach with any self-respect would not coach to win, whatever their scenario is off the ice. But I think it's possible, as Playmakers says, that Monty knew his time was finite behind the Bruins bench, and the players knew it too.

Also, consider the language used by the Bruins management and players after Monty was fired. Almost to a man they described him as a great coach "and a better human being." If they thought he had colluded with another team and had been self-servingly coaching to lose just so he would get fired, I don't think they would have opted to speak so glowingly about him as a human being. It wasn't necessary.

According to Friedman, the Bruins offered Monty 3 years at $3m per year.

 

[chizzler]

"Army called me and I thought it was going to be a 'hey keep your head up, enjoy the family we've all been through it' support type call but then it turned business and my blood started pumping"

When do you think the call happened? It was a call after being fired. For f***s sake. But yeah. Ty's take is totally genuine.

So your under the assumption that that call was the first talks they had since he left there???

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I'd say for goalies and D, the Bruins are above the league average over the past 10 drafts. Swayman and Vladar are legitimate NHL goaltenders with plenty of runway left. McAvoy, Carlo, Lindgren, Lohrei, Lauzon and even Vaakainanen are all NHL caliber D-men and I'd wager at least 5 of them play between 700-1000 games.

But up front, I think you'd be hard pressed to find drafting results worse then Boston under Sweeney. If you were to cobble together a couple lines of Sweeney drafted forwards based on their careers thus far, you'd have:

Frederic - Poitras - Debrusk

Beecher - Studnicka - Lauko

It's the result of simply not having the picks rather than bad drafting.

Clearly the Bruins have drafted lots of defensemen and Swayman was a big hit.

But ffter the 2015 draft, in 9 drafts, the Bruins have had 2 picks in the top 20. One turned out to be McAvoy. They have also had 3 other drafts with zero first round picks. Very slim picking where they were drafting.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Missed your reply here but all I will say to that is we’ll never know. You can’t look solely at a guy’s stat line in another org , especially young guys, and say unequivocally they wouldn’t have been an impact player here. And that is what is missing from the young player cupboard, especially forwards, who have they drafted - I’ll give you Swayman- other than Mac who has been that? Especially forwards, which is what started the conversation.

Then you can't say a Debrincat or Barzal or a Connor would be an impact player here either.

Depends as what we're defining as an impact player.

I think we can all agree that this management group has struggled to draft & develop impact forwards. By impact, I'm talking about top 6 level forwards.

Again, there weren't many available where they were drafting.

 

[BruinDust]

It's the result of simply not having the picks rather than bad drafting.

Clearly the Bruins have drafted lots of defensemen and Swayman was a big hit.

But ffter the 2015 draft, in 9 drafts, the Bruins have had 2 picks in the top 20. One turned out to be McAvoy. They have also had 3 other drafts with zero first round picks. Very slim picking where they were drafting.

No doubt drafting position and lack of picks overall has had a great impact.

But I can't let Sweeney and Co. off the hook completely. That group of forwards is motley and can't just be blame on draft position + pick quantity. They have to take some responsibility for the choices they've made the past 10 years. This organization has trouble identifying quality forwards. It's been a trend at their drafts, it's been a trend in their pro level signings and trades. Even if we give them some slack for not finding any high-end forwards (quality) because of where they are picking (if they are picking), even the quantity isn't there. 6 guys total with any sort of NHL experience, one (Studnicka) is clearly headed for a career in Europe at some point in the near future, just AHL depth now. Lauko and Beecher are 4th liners, Frederic we'll call him a 3rd liner, Debrusk a 2nd liner, Poitras remains to be seen even though he has the potential to be the best of the bunch.

 

[UncleRico]

It's the result of simply not having the picks rather than bad drafting.

Clearly the Bruins have drafted lots of defensemen and Swayman was a big hit.

But ffter the 2015 draft, in 9 drafts, the Bruins have had 2 picks in the top 20. One turned out to be McAvoy. They have also had 3 other drafts with zero first round picks. Very slim picking where they were drafting.

You’re right they haven’t had many picks. Unfortunately what they’ve done with the picks they haven’t drafted has been an even bigger issue than the drafting.

Four 1st round picks and four 2nd round picks traded in the last 7 drafts and only Hampus Lindholm on the current roster to show for it.

Disgusting.

 

[Alan Ryan]

I appreciate all the wins under Coach Montgomery. The record breaking Presidents Trophy season totalling 135 points was among the best experiences of my 40+ years as a Bruins supporter. Right up there with the 2011 Stanley Cup win.

Coach Montgomery is gone. When a coach or player moves on from Boston I’m no longer interested in them. Time to put this thread on the ignore list.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

No doubt drafting position and lack of picks overall has had a great impact.

But I can't let Sweeney and Co. off the hook completely. That group of forwards is motley and can't just be blame on draft position + pick quantity. They have to take some responsibility for the choices they've made the past 10 years. This organization has trouble identifying quality forwards. It's been a trend at their drafts, it's been a trend in their pro level signings and trades. Even if we give them some slack for not finding any high-end forwards (quality) because of where they are picking (if they are picking), even the quantity isn't there. 6 guys total with any sort of NHL experience, one (Studnicka) is clearly headed for a career in Europe at some point in the near future, just AHL depth now. Lauko and Beecher are 4th liners, Frederic we'll call him a 3rd liner, Debrusk a 2nd liner, Poitras remains to be seen even though he has the potential to be the best of the bunch.

Of all the players available when Studnicka was drafted (53rd), the only top 6 forward I found was Drake Batherson. Drafted late in the 4th round, 121st overall. A 19-year-old. Not on anyone's radar in the 2nd round.

Lauko 77th overall. Can't find a single top 6 forward drafted after him.

You’re right they haven’t had many picks. Unfortunately what they’ve done with the picks they haven’t drafted has been an even bigger issue than the drafting.

Four 1st round picks and four 2nd round picks traded in the last 7 drafts and only Hampus Lindholm on the current roster to show for it.

Disgusting.

Comes with going for the Cup.

You know that.

 

[Dr Hook]

Then you can't say a Debrincat or Barzal or a Connor would be an impact player here either.

I can't and I didn't mention any of those guys.