It has been a dream-like second chance for Boston Bruins Head Coach Jim Montgomery in a coaching career that has come full circle. Montgomery has led the Bruins to the best record in the National Hockey League at 40-8-5, and in the process, Boston has tied the record for quickest to 40 wins in league history. And for Montgomery, last night’s 3-2 win was a milestone personally as the former Dallas Stars head coach notched his 100th career coaching win against his former club.
Montgomery was the head coach for Dallas Stars in 2018-19, leading the Stars to a 43-32-7 record and a playoff berth. The next season, the team began 17-11-3, but Montgomery was fired and revealed a serious drinking problem. It was a low point in the former University of Maine star’s personal and professional career. To Montgomery’s credit, he completed rehabilitation. He was hired as an assistant with the St. Louis Blues for two seasons before taking over for Bruce Cassidy as the Bruins’ head man in the off-season. Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney wanted a coach who brought positivity and an ability to encourage and develop younger players. So far, Jim Montgomery has been the right guy for the job.
The Bruins have rolled to a league-best 85 points but have hit a recent tough patch before the All-Star break, losing four out of five games after a 2-1 home loss to Washington, just the second loss in regulation at TD Garden all season. The question is how the Bruins would handle their first adversity under Montgomery. The win in Dallas was a great response and a sign that Montgomery can send a message when needed.
“In general, I didn’t like the way our team responded to the physicality of Washington,” said Montgomery before the game against the Western Conference-leading Stars in Dallas on Tuesday. “All year, we’ve been a close-knit group, and we’ve backed each other up. And anytime we’ve been pushed, we push back. We’re usually a team that initiates and doesn’t retaliate, and I thought our team was in a retaliatory mood. We weren’t initiating. The temperature in the league has gone up. Some teams are desperate … the last game bothers me the most, but before the break, people were playing more desperately than us.”
That desperation was on display in a solid first period by Boston on Tuesday and needs to continue if the Bruins are to maintain a path to the President’s Trophy given to the team with the best overall record. Regardless of the minor slump, Montgomery has pushed all the right buttons and helped younger players like Trent Frederic realize their potential. The team has responded from the start to Montgomery’s aggressive style of hockey, particularly the defensemen like Hampus Lindholm, who tied a career-high in points with an assist in the win over the Stars.
The goal for the Bruins is to win the Stanley Cup. Montgomery will be tasked with helping to make that happen. So far, the results have been historic. What remains to be seen is if the Bruins can finish the deal. But for now, their coach has made all the right moves for the team and himself.
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