Before the Boston Bruins caught a flight to Fort Lauderdale for tonight’s key game against the Florida Panthers, coach Jim Montgomery made it clear he was not happy with his team.
Boston and the Panthers may be tied for first place in the Atlantic Division — but Montgomery let the Bruins have it in their Monday practice.
According to Boston Hockey Now, Montgomery not only ripped into his team when they showed up “not prepared for practice,’’ but he also put them through a vigorous skate from one end of the ice to the other, shouting throughout it.
A 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday certainly had left Montgomery in a bad mood.
With the Panthers next up, he seemed to want to make sure his team went to Florida ready to play.
He apparently did not think they were in that frame of mind Monday morning.
The Panthers and Bruins have two more games against each other this regular season — one each in Sunrise and Boston.
Boston is 2-0 against the Panthers this season after losing to Florida in the first-round of the playoffs last spring.
“Sometimes I just like to stretch my vocal cords,’’ Montgomery said after shouting throughout a practice which, aside from the bag skate, included a scrimmage.
“In all seriousness, I hated the way we finished the game in Philly. It was a good hockey game; it was playoff intensity and had a good physicality to it. I don’t think I’ve done a good enough job of teaching the details and game management that we need, and then we weren’t prepared to practice today.
“So that’s why. those things coupled together, not ready to start practice on time, guys not knowing what we’re supposed to be doing. Again, I take responsibility for it, but there has to be some responsibility from the players, too.”
Both Boston and Florida are battling for the top spot not only in the division as well as in the conference and NHL standings.
The two will be going to the playoffs and are trying to get right before they start.
Montgomery does not think his team is there.
“I don’t think our team’s ready yet for the playoffs,” Montgomery said. “We got to continue to get tested, and we’re going to get tested. It’s been inconsistent throughout the year. We have good stretches where we manage the game, and then we get away from it. You can’t get away from it. You just can’t give a game away in the playoffs because you don’t get to play the following week if you do that.”
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