After the game, this is what Jim Montgomery had to share
San Jose Sharks' winger Givani Smith was penalized for boarding Boston Bruins' captain Brad Marchand with a little over six minutes remaining in Thursday night's second period.
However, that wasn't the sole consequence for Smith.
Subsequently, Smith was confronted by Trent Frederic in the last minute of the period, as Frederic defended Marchand. Frederic and Smith engaged in a fight, wherein the Bruins' forward retaliated physically, deeming it necessary.
"You don't want people hitting Marchy," Frederic told reporters. "He's our captain. Everybody loves him in here, and he's obviously a great player. You don't want him getting hit like that."
"I mean, you love it. Freddy's a well-respected teammate... he can defend his teammates and also play the game the right way. His physicality is much needed in our group." Montgomery said
Montgomery's comment is particularly remarkable because it subtly acknowledges Frederic's leadership attributes, evident in his actions both during games and outside them. Though not explicitly suggesting a change in captaincy, Montgomery's favorable evaluation of Frederic's capacity to protect teammates and demonstrate sportsmanship implies a possible transformation in the team's leadership structure.
| POLL | ||
1 DECEMBRE | 210 ANSWERS After the game, this is what Jim Montgomery had to share Do the Bruins still need Milan Lucic? | ||
| Yes | 108 | 51.4 % |
| No | 102 | 48.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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