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Monty Revisited

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Aussie Bruin

Aussie Bruin

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With the Jim Montgomery-led St Louis Blues riding a 7-game winning streak and tightening their grip on a playoff spot in the west, it had me thinking back to the end of his time in Boston. Maybe the Blues don't end up making it, but regardless it's a reminder that, whatever his flaws, this guy can coach.

But he was gone from the Bruins only a little over a month into the season, with the team already a mess and Monty spending the last two weeks looking for all the world like a guy just waiting to be fired so he could flee to greener pastures.

The hockey world moves fast and events tend to be swiftly forgotten, such that Monty's firing already feels like a long time ago. But with Boston's season dribbling its way to a miserable end, I don't think the whole saga should just be cast aside, and it's worth revisiting. The full story of what went down hasn't even begun to be told. How did things get so bad so quickly between the Bruins and a guy who so far has coached his team to the playoffs in every season he's been the man in charge? Leaving us with Joe Average Sacco who's done his best but simply isn't a top-level coach in this league.

This is not me questioning with hindsight whether the firing was the right call - I think it was, and it frankly had to be done - more thinking about how on earth things were allowed to get to that point, and so quickly? Clearly mistakes were made and there was a breakdown in relationships, both between Monty and management and between the coach and the players. It was damaging for the franchise and the consequences may linger for some time yet. There should be some accountability for that.

So with the passing of some time, any fresh thoughts or perspectives?

(mods please merge this somewhere else if more suitable - couldn't find the right thread for it)
 
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As I mentioned in another thread, my hunch is that there were/are cliques in the locker room.

Monty clashed with the captain Brad Marchand, Swayman held out, two outsiders were brought in and paid big money (Lindholm, Zadorov), Sweeney's attention was diverted building Team Canada, Ullmark was traded, and well before Swayman was signed, rumors surfaced that Marchand and Pastrnak didn't get along, top two D went down, Marchand got traded at his request, and to arch rival Florida, no less.

Monty was a lame duck, which could've been as much him not wanting to extend as the B's not wanting to keep him.

On paper the B's aren't as bad as their record indicates. If not dysfunctional, I would pit the B's against whoever gets the wildcard spots in both conferences.

We'll likely never know the full details, but I did lose some respect for Monty. In post game pressers after losses, he didn't even try to offer solutions. Both Julien and Cassidy gave it everything they had until the bitter end: which I did not feel Monty did.
 
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bwunderlich said:
Monty wanted to play a certain style and mngt gave him new toys that in no way shape or form, could play that style.

This caused a rift and the different approach modified on the fly, never took off and dead man walking waited for a new opportunity.

Mngt blamed Monty for 2023, rightfully so maybe.
Click to expand...

I agree on both counts. Which leaves the question of what was Sweeney doing building a roster that his coach wasn't suited to or which didn't appeal to him? I don't think it's just hindsight to say that there was a pretty apparent disconnect even back in September between the roster as presented and Monty's style and preferences. Which isn't to say that Monty couldn't have adapted, or that the GM could reasonably have foreseen just how bad things would turn out. But the fact that it might at least cause some problems should have been recognized. I think Don needs to own that, which he kind of has to be fair, even though there have been no consequences. Monty's not blameless either, of course, and it seemed to me he gave up far too quickly, but reality is he at least has paid some sort of price, soft landing elsewhere notwithstanding.

As for 2023, yeah I think so, which left management cool on Monty and with little reason to hesitate in axing him as soon as things turned south. That alone is probably not healthy, but there it is.
 
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Aussie Bruin said:
With the Jim Montgomery-led St Louis Blues riding a 7-game winning streak and tightening their grip on a playoff spot in the west, it had me thinking back to the end of his time in Boston. Maybe the Blues don't end up making it, but regardless it's a reminder that, whatever his flaws, this guy can coach.

But he was gone from the Bruins only a little over a month into the season, with the team already a mess and Monty spending the last two weeks looking for all the world like a guy just waiting to be fired so he could flee to greener pastures.

The hockey world moves fast and events tend to be swiftly forgotten, such that Monty's firing already feels like a long time ago. But with Boston's season dribbling its way to a miserable end, I don't think the whole saga should just be cast aside, and it's worth revisiting. The full story of what went down hasn't even begun to be told. How did things get so bad so quickly between the Bruins and a guy who so far has coached his team to the playoffs in every season he's been the man in charge? Leaving us with Joe Average Sacco who's done his best but simply isn't a top-level coach in this league.

This is not me questioning with hindsight whether the firing was the right call - I think it was, and it frankly had to be done - more thinking about how on earth things were allowed to get to that point, and so quickly? Clearly mistakes were made and there was a breakdown in relationships, both between Monty and management and between the coach and the players. It was damaging for the franchise and the consequences may linger for some time yet. There should be some accountability for that.

So with the passing of some time, any fresh thoughts or perspectives?

(mods please merge this somewhere else if more suitable - couldn't find the right thread for it)
Click to expand...
Monty was offered a new contract to run past this year and refused to sign. His wife missed St Louis I believe and the thought was that he would fulfill his contract and bolt to St Louis. He didn't have any answers to get the B's back winning so off you go. Getting rid of Monty and Carlo were the best things DS has done since taking over as GM!
 
bwunderlich said:
Monty wanted to play a certain style and mngt gave him new toys that in no way shape or form, could play that style.

This caused a rift and the different approach modified on the fly, never took off and dead man walking waited for a new opportunity.

Mngt blamed Monty for 2023, rightfully so maybe.
Click to expand...
If he wanted to play a new style he certainly did them no favors during training camp- it takes time and focus and a good half of a season to implement something like that. Seems like he thought they could just wing it with all the new faces and an overcrowded training camp roster.
 
Monty game 5 lineup 2022-23 will age like Robert Wagner

Bad move by Sweeney hiring this guy in retrospect but a better narrative for Bruins fans real & fake is :

Sweeney sucks because he fired a great coach

However anyone who had a brain and can think for themselves knows this guy f***ed up 2022-23 then tanked this season once the Blues job became open - on top of his wife and kids not wanting to live here

Can’t wait to read who defends this guy
 
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Monty knew he would be hired in St. Louis, which is his home.

What happened at the end of the 2023 season is going to haunt this franchise.

Patrice wanted to play in that meaningless game in Montreal for personal reasons, but he was medically cleared to play in Game 5 against Florida.

It is safe to assume that St. Louis tampered with Monty, and Sweeney had to know that.
 
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bwunderlich said:
Monty wanted to play a certain style and mngt gave him new toys that in no way shape or form, could play that style.

This caused a rift and the different approach modified on the fly, never took off and dead man walking waited for a new opportunity.

Mngt blamed Monty for 2023, rightfully so maybe.
Click to expand...
If he wanted to play a new style he certainly did them no favors during training camp- it takes time and focus and a good half of a season to implement something like that. Seems like he thought they could just wing it with all the new faces and an overcrowded training camp roster.
 
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PB37 said:
His bench antics alone should have gotten him fired. He did everything but take out his cell phone and start texting in the middle of games.
Click to expand...

I guess I missed a lot of it

Any of it on video anywhere? Totally missed him shoving Marchand and benching pasta



In hindsight we shoulda kept Cassidy, and I blame him for a lot of 2019, but he learned from his mistakes.

Trouble is he won a cup because he has a good roster, not just because he’s a good coach. He still was given several years after 2019 and they kept falling short. No reason to suspect Cassidy being here in 2023 means the bruins win the cup that time around
 
1) He got outcoached in the playoffs by Maurice (happened when he was in Dallas too) in 2023, inexcusable loss. Will never forgive him for nor pulling Ullmark in game 6 after the panthers tied it 4-4 or even 5-5.
2) He ran a terrible camp this season because he really didn't care what happened this year, he was gone to STL regardless.
3) Acted like he had 1 foot out the door because he did and gave zero effort to right the ship earlier in the year.

I really dont care of his success in STL at this point, he can go get f***ed as far as im concerned.
 
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Fenway said:
Monty knew he would be hired in St. Louis, which is his home.

What happened at the end of the 2023 season is going to haunt this franchise.

Patrice wanted to play in that meaningless game in Montreal for personal reasons, but he was medically cleared to play in Game 5 against Florida.

It is safe to assume that St. Louis tampered with Monty, and Sweeney had to know that.
Click to expand...

Apparently that was a big mistake, putting Patrice Bergeron back in the lineup during the playoffs.
 
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KnightofBoston said:
I guess I missed a lot of it

Any of it on video anywhere? Totally missed him shoving Marchand and benching pasta



In hindsight we shoulda kept Cassidy, and I blame him for a lot of 2019, but he learned from his mistakes.

Trouble is he won a cup because he has a good roster, not just because he’s a good coach. He still was given several years after 2019 and they kept falling short. No reason to suspect Cassidy being here in 2023 means the bruins win the cup that time around
Click to expand...

I don't know if there's a video compilation of it on YouTube. But there's the Marchand altercation. There's the games where he was just staring off into the distance, completly detached from the play as it was happening. Another game where he was legit yawning on the bench. Another game where he was face palming and rubbing his eyes when the game got out of hand. One of his guys gets boarded from behind and taken off the ice ( Carlo ) with no reaction by him.

In a vacuum, I can understand anyone doing that with how bad the Bruins have been. But he's the f***ing coach, not a fan off the street.
 
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PB37 said:
I don't know if there's a video compilation of it on YouTube. But there's the Marchand altercation. There's the games where he was just staring off into the distance, completly detached from the play as it was happening. Another game where he was legit yawning on the bench. Another game where he was face palming and rubbing his eyes when the game got out of hand. One of his guys gets boarded from behind and taken off the ice ( Carlo ) with no reaction by him.

In a vacuum, I can understand anyone doing that with how bad the Bruins have been. But he's the f***ing coach, not a fan off the street.
Click to expand...
I enjoyed when the camera caught him saying "He's just too f***ing slow" about Brazeau, and then he kept putting him in the lineup.
 
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