The end result was not what Jim Montgomery was looking for on Tuesday night, but the Bruins’ coach very much liked the way his team started the game on Tuesday before his team fell to the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-1, at the Garden.
The B’s didn’t wait for the physical game to come to them, they initiated it. In the opening 20 minutes, the B’s racked up 18 hits, and they were not the kind of hits that were accrued because they were chasing the puck. They were hard, purposeful hits that were meant to leave a mark, mentally as much as physically. The B’s finished the game with 36 hits, led by Andrew Peeke (8) and Jakub Lauko (6).
It’s a style that Montgomery believes is imperative for success in the playoffs.
“What it does for the whole is that it gives the bench energy because big hits, finishing checks, being hard to play against, gives excitement to the group. And what it does to the other team is they know that they’re going to get hit. Now, they go to a confrontational area and they might not get there as quick, they might panic and that leads to turnovers, it leads to offense, it leads to territorial advantage,” said Montgomery on Wednesday.
“When we start for real here, those things matter over the course of a series, not only Game 1, but Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, Game 4 to Games 6 and 7….from a wearing down aspect, on you know that you’re going to get run. It’s something that I reflect upon in the playoffs (last year) that I wasn’t vocal enough about physicality.”
Indeed, B’s management all but acknowledged that team was lacking in the physical department when it signed Milan Lucic and more recently the acquisition of Pat Maroon, who could make his Bruin debut on Saturday in Pittsburgh, to make up for Lucic’s departure from the team.
And Montgomery wants certain players to sink their teeth into that aspect of the game.
“Especially from those guys that have to relish their role,” said Montgomery. “That’s what we want form Peeke. That’ what we want from Lauko. We want that from several others that that’s their role on the team, that need to augment that part of their game as well.”
On Tuesday, the physicality looked like a particular focus, though Montgomery said that that was not case.
“It’s been a focus all year. It’s just that in 82 games, it’s just hard,” said Montgomery. “I thought we had real good energy to start the game and we were ready to go, but we lost the energy in the second period and you’ve got to give credit to Carolina. They got to their game and stuck with their game better than we did. But the physicality part of the first period? I loved it.”….
There was a time in the NHL if a player tried to pull a move like Andrei Svechnikov did on Tuesday on his “Michigan” goal, he’d be labeled a hot dog and most likely run through the boards at some point in the game.
Now, the skill displayed is not only admired, but supported.
“You want to encourage players to be creative,” said Montgomery. “There’s a play to make – and that’s a hard play to stop. Watching the replay of it, Peeke did a good job of getting there to try and stop him. It takes a certain skill set….Svechnikov, as soon as he beat our man (John Beecher) out of the corner, he’s like ‘I got it.’ He recognizes it and he’s going to it. Already in his brain, it processes real quick. It’s like (Brad Marchand) when he set up (Charlie) Coyle on the power play (against Florida). He took one step and knew ‘I’m going to Coyle here.’ The seams going to open up and I’m making a hard pass. And that’s why you need special players.”
Sometimes, the move that might have been considered a showboat maneuver, whether it’s a “Michigan” attempt or a between-the-legs shot or pass, can be the best way to go, especially in-tight around the net.
“It’s the best option,” said Montgomery. “The goalie now has to worry about that, which might open the five-hole. It’s just a skill set that I think is great for the game and has grown the game in the last 15 years.”…
Rookie defenseman Mason Lohrei was scratched for the ninth time in 11 games on Tuesday. Normally, you would want a young player to be getting regular game action somewhere. But Lohrei is one of the organization’s top eight D-men and history shows that teams usually need that many blue liners to get through a playoff run. But while he’s sitting out games, Montgomery does believe there’s still a benefit for him being with the big club.
“The benefits of being here are you see the intensity of the league go up,” said Montgomery. “You’re going to see it in practice every day, too. We’re getting ready for the playoffs and other teams are getting ready and then you get to see the playoff intensity. But with eight D, it’s hard to keep everybody (involved). (Kevin Shattenkirk) has sat out quite a few games, too. It’s my job to keep everyone involved.”…
Montgomery put the chances of Maroon making his Bruin debut on Saturday in Pittsburgh at “75-25 percent.”