On March 25, the Boston Bruins’ practice at Warrior Ice Arena came to an abrupt halt five minutes after it began.
Head coach Jim Montgomery, clearly dissatisfied with his team’s performance at the beginning of the practice, yelled
at his players:
According to various sources, Montgomery then required his players to skate sprints up and down the ice and
partake in hard 3-on-3 exercises before practice resumed, despite the colorful language.
The Bruins are tied for second place in the NHL with 97 points, and they are within striking distance of winning their
second straight President’s Trophy. They also have a solid opportunity at winning a loaded Atlantic Division and
even earning the Eastern Conference’s top seed in the postseason. Still, Montgomery is dissatisfied with their
previous performance, as well as the start of Monday’s practice.
The Bruins entered Monday’s practice after losing 5-2 to the New York Rangers on March 21 and 3-2 to the
Philadelphia Flyers on March 23. Boston lost the latter in particularly disappointing circumstances, allowing the
Flyers to score with 1:29 left in regulation and escape with a one-goal triumph.
“I hated the way we finished the game in Philly,” he told reporters after practice. “It was a good hockey game, with
playoff intensity and physicality. I believe I did not adequately explain the necessary details and game management,
resulting in a lack of practice readiness. I take responsibility for it, but the players must also take responsibility.”
Montgomery became concerned because he felt his team’s bad performance in the Philadelphia game had spilled
over into the start of Monday practice. With Boston’s next game on March 27 against the Florida Panthers, one of just two NHL teams with more points than the Bruins, Montgomery is suspicious of his team’s readiness for the
Stanley Cup playoffs.
