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Pre-Season Statement from Jim Montgomery Addressing the Bruins

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Austin Sabourin
September 3, 2023 (6:18 PM)

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Jim Montgomery, the head coach of the Boston Bruins, faces a significant challenge in his second season, grappling with the loss of key players during the offseason.

Despite the disappointment of a first-round defeat to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bruins' coach Jim Montgomery maintains an optimistic outlook for the upcoming season.

With an impressive record of 65 wins last season, the Bruins achieved remarkable milestones, and Montgomery believes they can replicate that success. He has been dedicating substantial time at Warrior Ice Arena to strategize how to guide his team back into playoff contention, aiming for another shot in April.

Heading into his sophomore year as the Bruins' bench boss, Montgomery acknowledges the absence of leaders like Patrice Bergeron and Nick Foligno in the locker room, presenting a different dynamic. Despite these changes, Montgomery remains confident:

«We lost a lot of leadership. Fortunately, this team is filled with leadership,» the ever-positive Montgomery shared with the Boston Herald. «We have to make sure � and this is a big part of my job � that our standard of how we treat ourselves, how we care for each other remains the same. We can't let our standard of competitiveness and caring slip. And that's probably my biggest thing to make sure of this year, besides getting people to execute with pace and purpose.»

Reflecting on a crushing first-round loss, Montgomery stays bullish on the Bruins' prospects. Transitioning from a record-setting regular season to a swift playoff exit isn't easy, but Montgomery and his team are focused on the future.

With several key departures, including Bergeron, Foligno, Krejci, Hall, and Bertuzzi, this season shapes up to be different, presenting a fresh challenge for Montgomery.

«We lost a lot of leadership. Fortunately, this team is filled with leadership,» Montgomery emphasized. «We have to make sure � and this is a big part of my job � that our standard of how we treat ourselves, how we care for each other remains the same. We can't let our standard of competitiveness and caring slip. And that's probably my biggest thing to make sure of this year, besides getting people to execute with pace and purpose.»

Looking back at history, the Bruins rebounded from a devastating loss in the 2010 playoffs to win the Stanley Cup in 2011. Montgomery contemplates whether the current team can draw motivation from adversity:

«Yes and no,» Montgomery explained. «For the players that were here, which is our true nucleus now, I think we can use it as fuel because it hardens us and it should make us better prepared for the next opportunity. For the team as a whole, no, we can't use it because we've got to get into the playoffs first. So our focus goes to what we have to do well in the regular season to give ourselves that opportunity again.»

Acknowledging skepticism surrounding the Bruins' prospects for the upcoming season, Montgomery points out that similar doubts were voiced about last year's team, which went on to set regular-season records.

«After our regular season, I think a lot of people forgot all the question marks on our team before last year. I think it's very similar to this year, that we're a bubble team, and that's what people were saying about us last year,» Montgomery shared.

As seen on: Pessherald

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3 SEPTEMBRE \| 113 ANSWERS Pre-Season Statement from Jim Montgomery Addressing the Bruins Will the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in the next 10 years?
Yes	89	78.8 %
No	24	21.2 %
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