Speculation: Potential Coaching Replacements for Jim Montgomery

Ozzy Osbourne

Registered User
Nov 14, 2023
1,500
1,731
I didn't know we were buddies in the standings!

If you fire Monty, we probably will hire him. A French speaking warm rock gets hired by the Habs....because it's no longer the hard core win-at-any-cost teams of old.

The Big Bad Bruins and the Lions of Winter are now the Big Bad Poo Bears and the p***yes of Winter...

:laugh:
 
  • Like
Reactions: duffy

DKH

Worst Poster/Awful Takes
Feb 27, 2002
76,550
57,545
Monty a nice guy but he was hired to coach and he drove the 22-23 Ferrari off a cliff because he decided he’d explore ‘what’s down that road’

People break up all the time - from junior high right thru marriage relationships disolve

I went to the game Saturday and the Bruins brought it - probably only game of 11 but it was there

Without passion you don’t accomplish much

The passion is gone the relationship stale

Folks need to chill the overreaction

You take steps not overhaul

#Sacco Magic
 

Dicky113

Registered User
Oct 30, 2007
4,509
3,459
Not sure how anyone can look at this roster and think changing the coach will help. We have one, maybe two top six forwards ffs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BTO

DKH

Worst Poster/Awful Takes
Feb 27, 2002
76,550
57,545
Darryl Sutter would be my choice.
I can dig a guy who played in the 70’s

Bring in Mike zO’Connell who drafted Betgeron, Krejci and traded for Marco Sturm while GM -and signed Thomas

O’Connell was a teammate of Stan Mikita and his father the QB of the Cleveland Browns handing ball to Jim Brown arguably the greatest football player ever just ahead of Brady and Deacon Jones

OConnell GM
Darryl Sutter Coach

Let’s go !!!!!

Not sure how anyone can look at this roster and think changing the coach will help. We have one, maybe two top six forwards ffs.
Hey!!!!! We got someone - me
:laugh:
 

BHD

Here comes Skinner
Dec 27, 2009
38,425
16,900
Moncton, NB
I (a Pens fan) saw Sullivan mentioned in the OP...

He did an outstanding job during his first two years (both leading to Cups), but his approach has come into question since. He continues to instill a system based on speed, even though the Pens do not have the legs for it. Do the Bruins have the legs to apply pressure in all three zones? His line combinations are hit or hiss.

Speaking of which... He aslo stumbled upon the HBK line before the first Cup. He put the line together last minute when Malkin was out of the lineup. Do the Bruins have the depth to put a premier goal scorer (Kessel) on the third line?

And like any other Pens coach, he has two generational players (and a game-breaking defenseman) to defer to.

I realize some Bruins fans may be having flashbacks to him being a first time coach overseeing a core in it's prime (Thornton, Samsonov, etc.), but he's in the same group as Lavy. He's only good with a veteran group that is ready to compete.
 
Last edited:

BruinDust

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
25,202
23,938
I (a Pens fan) saw Sullivan mentioned in the OP...

He did an outstanding job during his first two years (both leading to Cups), but his approach has come into question since. He continues to instill a system based on speed, even though the Pens do not have the legs for it. Do the Bruins have the legs to apply pressure in all three zones?

He aslo stumbled upon the HBK line before the first Cup. He put the line together last minute when Malkin was out of the lineup. Do the Bruins have the depth to put a premier goal scorer (Kessel) on the third line?

And like any other Pens coach, he had two generational players leading the way.

I realize some Bruins fans may be having flashbacks to him being a first time coach overseeing a core in it's prime (Thornton, Samsonov, etc.), but he's in the same group as Lavy. He's only good with a veteran group that is ready to compete.

Prefers man-on-man defense which this group is absolutely not built for.

One of the major issues right now is they are trying to play a hard forechecking game and don't have the skating ability to make it work outside of what was the Beecher-Kastelic-Koepke line (which is probably why it worked).

Dump-ins are already on their way back out of the zone by the time forecheckers get there. Most hits (looking at you Trent Frederic) are well after the puck is gone the other way, taking one Bruin out of the play on the back-check. The heavy forecheck is leaving that 3rd man wide open on the backcheck and teams are having a field day in the mid-to-high slot.

This team really built to gum up the neutral zone with a 1-2-2/1-3-1/1-4 and hope to capitalize on mistakes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AngryMilkcrates

sarge88

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Jan 29, 2003
26,392
23,097
Not sure how anyone can look at this roster and think changing the coach will help. We have one, maybe two top six forwards ffs.

Because on paper the defense should be very good, they have a legit #1 goaltender and, despite the lack of top end talent up front --- sometimes hard work, playing smart and showing intensity overcomes that lack of talent.

This team has generally not worked hard, played smart or shown intensity.

Sometimes the right coach can fix what's wrong with a given group.
 

BTO

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Mar 20, 2019
9,260
11,611
The Big Smoke (unfortunately)
Prefers man-on-man defense which this group is absolutely not built for.

One of the major issues right now is they are trying to play a hard forechecking game and don't have the skating ability to make it work outside of what was the Beecher-Kastelic-Koepke line (which is probably why it worked).

Dump-ins are already on their way back out of the zone by the time forecheckers get there. Most hits (looking at you Trent Frederic) are well after the puck is gone the other way, taking one Bruin out of the play on the back-check. The heavy forecheck is leaving that 3rd man wide open on the backcheck and teams are having a field day in the mid-to-high slot.

This team really built to gum up the neutral zone with a 1-2-2/1-3-1/1-4 and hope to capitalize on mistakes.
They don’t appear to be built for zone defence either. Tim Horton’s Timbit defence more like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BruinDust

BruinDust

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
25,202
23,938
They don’t appear to be built for zone defence either. Tim Horton’s Timbit defence more like.

But they should be. Big rangy D-men. Centers with size/strength and face-off ability.

They gave up more chances in the mid-to-high slot last night than one of Julien's or Cassidy's teams gave up in a full season (hyperbole).
 
  • Like
Reactions: BTO and sarge88

Healthy Wrap

Registered User
May 15, 2014
2,207
3,095
Neely’s Kitchen
Prefers man-on-man defense which this group is absolutely not built for.

One of the major issues right now is they are trying to play a hard forechecking game and don't have the skating ability to make it work outside of what was the Beecher-Kastelic-Koepke line (which is probably why it worked).

Dump-ins are already on their way back out of the zone by the time forecheckers get there. Most hits (looking at you Trent Frederic) are well after the puck is gone the other way, taking one Bruin out of the play on the back-check. The heavy forecheck is leaving that 3rd man wide open on the backcheck and teams are having a field day in the mid-to-high slot.

This team really built to gum up the neutral zone with a 1-2-2/1-3-1/1-4 and hope to capitalize on mistakes.
I don’t understand how Sweeney and Neely are being left off the hook for admitting the team needed more speed at their end of season press conference and then proceeded to do little about it! Kastelic and Koepke have been welcome additions to the fourth line but it doesn’t change the fact that Frederic, Geekie, and Brazeau are taking up three middle 6 spots and none of them can forecheck for shit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BruinDust

FrankerC

Registered User
Jun 24, 2016
1,447
2,092
Lewiston, Maine
Cassidy was fired for being too hard on some players, most of which are not on the team anymore. He goes on to win a Stanley Cup. Sometimes you gotta look past the coach and look at management. This is the team they built. It has to be nearing the time that Sweeney and Neely are looked at.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BTO and capecodder

BruinDust

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
25,202
23,938
I don’t understand how Sweeney and Neely are being left off the hook for admitting the team needed more speed at their end of season press conference and then proceeded to do little about it! Kastelic and Koepke have been welcome additions to the fourth line but it doesn’t change the fact that Frederic, Geekie, and Brazeau are taking up three middle 6 spots and none of them can forecheck for shit.

Their idea of increasing the speed up front was letting JVR and Maroon go and replacing them with Max Jones.

Their fastest straight line forward (and really the only forward outside of Pasta that can push the D back off the blue-line) they let go (Debrusk) to add another medium speed two-way forward (Lindholm).

People point at Frederic's hits but ever single one of them is well after the puck is gone the other way and have zero impact. Never does he get there in time to hit the D-man, separate him from the puck and gain possession in the offensive zone.
 

kdog82

Registered User
Oct 6, 2002
2,857
1,537
Toronto
Visit site
On paper, this team should be better than last year's team.

Montgomery had one of the best teams in the history of the league 2 years ago and blew a 3-1 series lead. "I don't have to say much, we have Bergy in the room." After that line I knew Monty wasn't the coach to lead this team.

What style/system are the Bruins playing?? It seems like the players have no clue.

All this on the coach. Monty is a good guy but he has to go before it is too late.
 

Hookslide

Registered User
Nov 19, 2018
5,282
4,617
Sacco, Leach and Kelly are not the answer. There's a reason why Sacco hasn't gotten another HC gig. Our ST's are terrible, why trust these guys with the HC job when they can't even succeed as an Assistant coach. Sweeney should be on the phone looking for outside eyes.
Similar to Sweeney never getting a GM job, until the Bruins put him in that position.

Absolutely nothing.
It is called having a good PR man. Just get his name out there and in a positive manner of course.
 

DangleCity

Registered User
Jun 23, 2016
7,256
3,420
I don’t understand how Sweeney and Neely are being left off the hook for admitting the team needed more speed at their end of season press conference and then proceeded to do little about it! Kastelic and Koepke have been welcome additions to the fourth line but it doesn’t change the fact that Frederic, Geekie, and Brazeau are taking up three middle 6 spots and none of them can forecheck for shit.
Because you don't lose they way the Bruins are because of lack of talent. This is straight up lack of effort and that falls squarely on the coach.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: capecodder

Scotto74

taking a break
Oct 7, 2005
23,262
3,355
Kingston, MA
Claude - this team is built for a box + 1 system. huge D with limited speed and limited offense up front. smart D minded centers.

need to smother in the D zone and then capitalize on the offense you get from that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BTO

Healthy Wrap

Registered User
May 15, 2014
2,207
3,095
Neely’s Kitchen
Their idea of increasing the speed up front was letting JVR and Maroon go and replacing them with Max Jones.

Their fastest straight line forward (and really the only forward outside of Pasta that can push the D back off the blue-line) they let go (Debrusk) to add another medium speed two-way forward (Lindholm).

People point at Frederic's hits but ever single one of them is well after the puck is gone the other way and have zero impact. Never does he get there in time to hit the D-man, separate him from the puck and gain possession in the offensive zone.
Totally agree. The roster construction is flawed. They were banking on guys who had career years (Frederic, Geekie) to repeat those performances. Hasn’t happened. They were banking on Marchand’s play not falling off a cliff. That, unfortunately, has happened. And they tried to sell the fans on Lysell and/or Merkulov making the team, which I questioned the validity of (Merkulov didn’t exactly “wow” during his short pro stint last year and Lysell’s inconsistent play in Providence is well documented)

You’re bang on about hits too. Just the other day, someone was trying to equate Frederic’s physicality with Kastelic’s by pointing at their similar hit totals. I’ll say again what I said then, hits is one of the most subjective and inconsistently tracked statistics in hockey. A Frederic “hit” and a Kastelic hit are not one in the same
 
  • Like
Reactions: BruinDust

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad