Management Montgomery fired - Sacco named interim coach

lextune

I'm too old for this.
Jun 9, 2008
12,469
4,259
New Hampshire
No one is surprised. The surprise would be if firing another coach was the catalyst for real change.

One of Marchand, McAvoy, Pastrnak, or Swayman could be traded to REALLY shake things up, and break up the country club vibe, but I don't have faith that Don would win a big trade like that.
 

bb_fan

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
12,644
1,531
boston
Visit site
seemed like he's pushing the wrong button's all season with his approach, what he says to the media, how he 'calls' out players or the team etc.

never seemed like he had a real cohesive or consistent message
 

Thirty Seven

Registered User
Jan 23, 2017
1,776
3,338
I really don't think this will change much with the current team. Sure Monty was part of the problem but the players are making some very questionable decisions on the ice. I doubt he was telling them to make blind passes, let guys walk into the slot, forget how to stick handle and forget about their awareness in all zones. Head on a swivel is something that would confuse this team.
 

badbrewin

Registered User
Sponsor
Jan 13, 2007
3,062
3,735
Montreal
You had to know if they fired Monty, that they would promote Sacco or Leach on the interim. I think they see how it goes for a bit. They need a new coaching staff IMHO. Dom has mentioned on a few podcast his pick would be Dale Hunter, I would love that guy to be the Bruins head coach.
Was thinking the exact same thing. Low hanging solution to test the waters of change and if it doesn't work out, canvas your other options.

Hunter is likely a similar scenario as Cassidy. Likely a better coach the 2nd time around in the NHL after some more trial and error and seasoning at a different level.

I wish Terry O'Reilly was 25 years younger.
 

bbfan419

Registered User
Jul 3, 2006
9,264
9,940
Moncton NB
Was thinking the exact same thing. Low hanging solution to test the waters of change and if it doesn't work out, canvas your other options.

Hunter is likely a similar scenario as Cassidy. Likely a better coach the 2nd time around in the NHL after some more trial and error and seasoning.
Yeah Hunter could be a good choice, but likely an off-season hire, as his London Knights are a memorial cup contender, ranked #1 in the OHL and #2 in Canada, behind only Moncton.
 
  • Like
Reactions: badbrewin

Jdavidev

Registered User
Jul 5, 2011
1,966
1,592
Los Angeles, CA
I honestly believe management expected them to take a nose dive last season without Bergy and Krejci, letting Hall, Orlov, Foligno and Bertuzzi go and only adding in a bunch of 1 year players to fill out the roster. And then they were in 1st the whole season until the very end.

I think they got fooled into thinking this team was better than they thought, so they added a bunch of big contracts. But, it wasn't, just a year delayed on the rapid decline. Now, they are stuck. Without trading away some bigger names, there is nothing coming to save them. No prospects are ready. The only prospects to break on the team since the last Stanley Cup appearance are Frederic and Swayman. That's it. This will be a rough ride.
 

BernieMcAvoy

Registered User
Feb 18, 2020
1,768
1,841
I like Monty but the time to change was probably in the off-season if they were going to build the roster this way and had him come in as a lame duck.


Bruins have a 37-37 record since the halfway point of last season. Swayman was the only reason they made it to the second round last year and now a team that's built to be hard to play against isn't and getting 3-4 goals a night minimum put past them by any team with a bit of offensive talent. They need someone who can give these guys a kick up the ass and a bit of aggression out of them. A team built this way might not have the scoring talent of other teams but they shouldn't play as soft as they do or be as bad in their own end.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Camille the Eel

Number8

Registered User
Oct 31, 2007
18,865
19,333
Was thinking the exact same thing. Low hanging solution to test the waters of change and if it doesn't work out, canvas your other options.

Hunter is likely a similar scenario as Cassidy. Likely a better coach the 2nd time around in the NHL after some more trial and error and seasoning at a different level.

I wish Terry O'Reilly was 25 years younger.
I miss Coach Terry smashing a bus window in Hartford with a crowbar. More fun than today, thats for sure.
 
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: badbrewin and BTO

I Hate Philadelphia

Registered User
Aug 10, 2015
2,272
5,543
Orlando, Florida
If this is true (and maybe it is) I would sooner trade every other player and keep Swayman. No more overrated thing in sports than the Bruins "culture."
Yeah...Swayman definitely looks like the guy to keep right now. Complete primadonna who created a media circus to achieve his contract demands and is now being massively outperformed by a guy who was considered the worst goalie in the league and makes 1/3rd as much.

We are only keeping Swayman because we are stuck with him, no other team is touching that horrendous contract.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodit9

Cronuss

Registered User
Feb 19, 2007
9,461
2,795
NH
Turns out the strategy to get bigger, slower, and less skilled didn’t work. Hopefully Sweeney will be following him this off-season
Thing is, they didn't adapt their style or tactics for the new people. They kept trying to play finesse instead of playing heavy and higher quantity of shots. Maybe Sacco will change that.
 

Thirty Seven

Registered User
Jan 23, 2017
1,776
3,338
The relevance I think is that this situation may need to be resolved in order for the team to move forward. Like, maybe they think Sway went against their culture and don't want him here. Don't want guys who don't buy in. If that's the case, are they thinking they need to trade Swayman to get him out of the room?

I mean, do 50 scouts and GM's show up to watch you play if the best trade chip you have to offer is Morgan Geekie?

Poor Swayman, those road trips must be rough now

4559e6b2-0e24-44a6-8f1b-15c306d06f9a_text.gif
 

DGS

Registered User
Jan 21, 2014
108
298
Portland, OR
Sullivan has to be the play. Can you imagine how that would be for Charlie Mac?

"Hon, grandma and grandpa are coming by to see the baby tonight" Great, I get chewed about how shitty I played.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc "son come out on the porch and have a drink with me for a minute"

So awkward...He'd be back to a #1 defenseman in no time. There'd be no alternative.
 

Aussie Bruin

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Aug 3, 2019
10,859
25,009
Victoria, Aus
I honestly believe management expected them to take a nose dive last season without Bergy and Krejci, letting Hall, Orlov, Foligno and Bertuzzi go and only adding in a bunch of 1 year players to fill out the roster. And then they were in 1st the whole season until the very end.

I think they got fooled into thinking this team was better than they thought, so they added a bunch of big contracts. But, it wasn't, just a year delayed on the rapid decline. Now, they are stuck. Without trading away some bigger names, there is nothing coming to save them. No prospects are ready. The only prospects to break on the team since the last Stanley Cup appearance are Frederic and Swayman. That's it. This will be a rough ride.

I think this is very likely to be accurate. No easy fixes. The Bruins' prospect pool is terrifying. Couldn't drown a mouse in it.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad