BOSTON — In a coach’s playbook, hooking the goalie, even when a barrage is not his fault, is standard operating procedure for a team in search of a spark. Putting in the backup, a coach hopes, gets the others players’ attention.
The general manager has a similar go-to: firing the coach.
Whether Don Sweeney or Jim Montgomery is more culpable for the Boston Bruins’ 8-9-3 start is difficult to answer. The Bruins are a mess all around, from goaltending to defense to five-on-five offense to special teams.
But a coach’s responsibilities include the following: finding answers and getting the most out of his players.
Montgomery has fallen short on both fronts.
The Bruins have failed to score all season. Their power play and penalty kill have been consistently poor. Turnovers happen all the time.
Meanwhile, you could argue five players have performed to expectation: Justin Brazeau, Mark Kastelic, Cole Koepke, Joonas Korpisalo and Hampus Lindholm. Everybody else has underperformed, some more than others. Elias Lindholm would be front and center in the latter category.
None of this reflects well on Montgomery.
“Everyone goes through struggles. Whether (in your) life or your team,” Montgomery said after Monday’s 5-1 stinker against the Columbus Blue Jackets. “That’s what life’s about. How do you pick yourself up? It’s not how hard you fall. It’s how quickly you pick yourself up.”
Montgomery may have run out of time to do that.
The third-year coach, who is in the last season of his contract, pointed out the Bruins are in a playoff position after 20 games. This is true. They are currently the No. 2 wild card and fourth in the Atlantic Division.
This may be the Bruins’ greatest magic trick so far, because their numbers tell a different story.
Only the Pittsburgh Penguins (minus-25) and San Jose Sharks (minus-22) have a worse goal differential than the minus-21 Bruins. They are dead last on the power play (11.7 percent). Their penalty kill (75.6 percent) is No. 25. Jeremy Swayman, who missed all of training camp, has an .884 save percentage.
“I don’t think missing training camp helps anyone,” Montgomery said. “That’s why you have training camps.”
Jeremy Swayman allowed five goals on 29 shots against the Blue Jackets. (Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images)
Had Swayman signed earlier, likely leaving some of his $66 million on the table, he could have been further along in his play. Maybe he would have swatted aside Mathieu Olivier’s shorthanded backhander instead of letting it slide through his pads. Perhaps he would have bailed out Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, Pavel Zacha or Mason Lohrei, who all turned over the puck up the ice prior to four Columbus goals off the rush.
“I tried stripping the guy and I didn’t,” Coyle acknowledged on Olivier’s man-down goal. “That’s on me to not let him get to the net. That’s strictly on me.”
What’s done is done. Swayman’s priority is to find his confidence, clean up his game and prove to his teammates that he was right to play hardball. If Swayman continues to take backward steps, he will not have many friends left in the dressing room.
“I think I’ve had enough time now to adapt and get back to things,” said Swayman. “I think the biggest thing that I lost out on was this group. I’m really trying to engulf just being in the room again and being a leader. I want my play to speak for that. So I need to step up. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
David Pastrnak had no shots on Monday. Neither did Zacha, whose turnover late in the first period led to James van Riemsdyk’s tip-in goal. Lohrei, who is an offensive defenseman, had zero shots while being on for four Columbus goals.
Team-wide, the Bruins’ puck play was not up to NHL standards. This has happened regularly this season.
“Not happy with the way things are going,” said Brad Marchand. “We need to be much better in a lot of areas. Mistakes are going to happen in a game. We’re just compounding them. It’s not acceptable to continue to have the same mistakes.”
The Bruins were 1-for-6 on the power play. The second unit produced the only goal. The No. 1 unit did nothing. Again, this follows the pattern of the Bruins’ best players being some of their worst.
“To have success in this league, special teams have to be really good,” said Marchand. “Power play has to be able to come through in big moments. We just haven’t done that at all. Every one of us needs to be much better out there. We have to be excited about the opportunity. It’s a privilege to be on the power play. It’s not a given, right? We need to be much better. We need to be way better than what we’ve been. Accountability hasn’t been there in that area. There’s no excuse. We’ve got to be better.”
Sweeney is trying. He promoted Riley Tufte from Providence last Saturday. Tufte responded by being on the ice for two of the St. Louis Blues’ three goals. A day later, Sweeney punted Tufte back to the AHL.
On Monday, the GM brought up Jeffrey Viel. Koepke was a healthy scratch. Viel fought Olivier in the first period. The Bruins did not use the energy well.
Sweeney may have no choice but to make a bigger move. Montgomery may have reached the end of the line.
(Top photo: Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images)
