Speculation: Potential Coaching Replacements for Jim Montgomery

[PlayMakers]

They are shooting more though. Not quite spam the net like Florida, but there is less puck possession and more just firing it at the net at EV, in particular from the point. Granted not a lot of those shots are getting through or the ones that get through the goalie sees it clearly.

Defensively to me they are trying to smother more and be more aggressive in the defensive zone, more of a hybrid than a collapsing zone D, which is what a lot of teams (not just Florida) have gone to. They aren't going strict man-on-man. Maybe that's part of the confusion, a hybrid is more of a half measure and they can't find that happy middle ground being so used to passively defending keeping everything to the outside.

I said this in another thread but what is Marchand's take on the changes to the system? Here he's been relatively successful playing basically passive defense in the neutral and defensive zones his entire career here. If he's not sold, then it's hard to expect the rest of the team to buy into the new strategy.

I think Florida plays a swarm, not a hybrid. They pressure at every opportunity, even if that means both D, the C and a W are all in the same corner.

Bruins definitely are trying the hybrid. Supposedly man to man high and zones low. I think this structure was brought in to counter the Keefe Ozone setup of 3 guys high, like an umbrella, but at even strength. Lots of teams run that setup now, and you can see the Bruins counter it with 3 forwards out high in front of them, but once the puck goes low they get all turned around.

The Bruins had been running Julien's box+1 system for 15 years. Cassidy kept it when he cooker over, and won a Cup with it in Vegas.

I do agree that Marchand and all the leaders are unhappy with the system, but I'm not sure it's because they want to go back to how they've always played, or if they want to go all-in and play more like Florida. When the season started the Bruins got beat by Florida twice and it felt exactly like the playoffs. That could have set them off on a path of thinking this isn't going to work and we've seen them less and less "in" on the plan ever since.

 

[PlayMakers]

So I’m not arguing with you per se, but let’s look at some telltale things:

- Tons of minor penalties. Sign of laziness and lack of dicipline
- Terrible special teams. Roster hasn’t changed much…why so terrible now?
- Players called out by name only 10 games into a season
- blowout loss after a loss to a lousy Philly team

These are all things you see before coaches get fired. It’s just so self evident like it or not.

- Coach yelling at Captain and shoving him during a game.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

- Coach yelling at Captain and shoving him during a game.

“Shoving” him? Come on man.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

Wish it could be Lavoilette and yet again they don't align. Damn you Ftorek

Always liked him myself, good choice if it were possible.

 

[Pia8988]

If this core quit on another f***ing coach. Trade them all, career losers

 

[Shoebottom88]

Make it fun and get Milbury in here. I’ll buy him a new pair of shoes each game as long as they’re not too fancy.

 

[PlayMakers]

Do you think the players look at their roster and actually want to play a more north/south game, more shots, more low to high? Or is it the opposite?

I actually think the players want to play more like the Panthers. Shoot from everywhere, pressure everywhere, be physical everywhere. Fight fire with fire.

I don't think they like the hybrid Dzone system. I don't think they like getting outshot every game. I think they're confused when Monty says they need to have a 'shot mentality' but that getting shots thru requires lots of quick puck movement. Are we thinking shot or pass?

The article Friedman had about how the Bruins wanted to get some revenge on the Panthers at the start of the season and how coming up short is messing with their heads, has stuck with me.

I think they looked at those losses like, what we're doing isn't going to work. We're never going to beat that team playing this way. We need to change. And every game since they've looked less and less invested in the 'team game.'

 

[Bridges31]

If this core quit on another f***ing coach. Trade them all, career losers

Agreed. At some point you have to start changing the players. Monty, like the team, have come out flat but at the end of the day the core either has to produce or be sent packing.

 

[PlayMakers]

I think you're right on it being about trust, but I don't think its about how Monty wants them to be playing (the system). I think the approach by Monty of constantly putting the lines in a blender is causing the distrust. It's not even on a game-by-game basis anymore, which is very short to begin with, he's doing it period-by-period or even by shift at times now too. These are acts of desperation and show a lack of confidence in the players, and thinks that's carrying down to the players themselves in how they feel about their own game.

I don't agree because Monty left the lines largely un-messed with for the first 10 games. Zacha-Lindholm-Pasta played 9 of 11 together. Marchand-Coyle played 9 of 11 together. The 4th line played 10 of 11 together.

Yes, now he's changing things up wholesale because he's trying to find a spark. He's trying to find a combination, beyond the 4th line, that will give them a foothold. Nothing has worked and I don't see the benefit of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That's how we got here.

 

[PlayMakers]

“Shoving” him? Come on man.

What would you call it? He didn't tap him on the shoulder. You wouldn't do that to your wife or someone at the store. That was a shove. A push.

 

[DavidK]

Which replacement coach is going to top the winningest season in NHL history? However fickle Bruins fans are, Montgomery deserves a ton of rope here. Considering his status with the organization was at 99/100 prior to this season, he's not going to be fired due to a slow start. And don't talk as if losing to Florida was a travesty, because they had the better roster last season and were kind of lucky to beat us the year prior.

 

[Shoebottom88]

Winningest regular season in history immediately followed by an embarrassing collapse. Most of which was his doing.

 

[McGarnagle]

In 2005 the Bruins' summer was hijacked by its best player having a contract dispute and being a pouty bitch about it before finally agreeing to a deal but coming onto the season with a dark cloud. The leadership core of their captain, their top defenseman, and their goalie were all being malcontents with low effort shown. Their player-friendly coach who led them to a division title in his first year got completely tuned out and ran over by the lockerroom. They began losing embarrassingly the first month and the player mutiny culminated in their captain being traded, starting a fire sale and the coach let go at the end of the year.

I'm just seeing a lot of parallels right now. We'll see if they trade McAvoy for three lumps of coal by the end of November.

 

[GoBs]

The Bruins and the Leafs should trade coaches

 

[BlackFrancis]

Considering his status with the organization was at 99/100 prior to this season

What?

Every time he was on camera that summer after the first round hara-kiri, he looked like someone close to him was being held hostage just off camera.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

If this core quit on another f***ing coach. Trade them all, career losers

Yup.
Pasta is playing like junk. Sure, he has some goals. But he looks like he's going through the motions and trying to play this soft, pretty game. Some of his passes last night? Holy smokes man. Looks like he's playing hockey with his kid.

Marchand's lost a serious step. He's gonna get beat by a lot of legit teams first lines.

D looks horrible.

4th line is the only line out there that looks like they are giving it 100%.
Everyone else is pretty much running at 60%

 

[Bruins4Lifer]

I don't agree because Monty left the lines largely un-messed with for the first 10 games. Zacha-Lindholm-Pasta played 9 of 11 together. Marchand-Coyle played 9 of 11 together. The 4th line played 10 of 11 together.

Yes, now he's changing things up wholesale because he's trying to find a spark. He's trying to find a combination, beyond the 4th line, that will give them a foothold. Nothing has worked and I don't see the benefit of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That's how we got here.

I guess we disagree with how much line mixing there has been. The middle-six has been in a constant state of flux. Marchand and Coyle may have started 9 of 11 games together, but they didn't continue or end those games together (Marchand's 5v5 ice time, 45% is away from Coyle). That's from the constant mid-game line-up changes.

I don't think it's a coincidence that as these line-up changes have become more and more frequent, the team has looked worse and worse.