The pressure is mounting on Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery as his team continues to struggle. Sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a 4-6-1 record, Boston has only managed one win in its last six games, including a rough 8-2 loss to Carolina and a 2-0 shutout by the rebuilding Flyers. While Montgomery isn’t solely responsible, nor is he the person behind the construction of this struggling roster, he’s the easiest person to point fingers at. Coaching changes are common when good teams aren’t playing like good teams should.
It doesn’t help that he’s had a couple of public blowups with some of the team’s best players. Even though they may be non-issues with the players themselves, perception may play a role in his future.
This is not for a lack of trying to find the right mix.
In a bid to shake things up, Montgomery adjusted lineups on Thursday, promoting fourth-liners Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic, and Cole Koepke while splitting up Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak. Unfortunately, the changes arguably made things worse. The Bruins were disjointed, their offense was almost nonexistent, and there were chemistry issues throughout the lineup.
Time is Running Out In Boston for Montgomery to Turn Things Around
With American Thanksgiving approaching—a common marker for playoff positioning—the Bruins need a turnaround to save their season and possibly Montgomery’s job. General Manager Don Sweeney had indicated preseason talks about a contract extension, but that seems unlikely now given the uncertain state of the team and the need to potentially make a move.
The Bruins will face the Flyers on Saturday and host the Kraken on Sunday, games that may heavily influence management’s decision. For now, all Montgomery can do is try to stop the bleeding. If he can, he may spin the narrative. If not, a change could be coming.
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