Jim Montgomery Shares Message To Bruins Ahead Of Season Opener

The Bruins begin their 2022-23 season Wednesday night after an offseason that saw the returns of David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. And even though Boston is facing some injuries to key players, coach Jim Montgomery doesn’t want that to be the focus.

Boston travels to Washington to take on the Capitals, who also are dealing with injuries to some of their core players.

It certainly will be an interesting start to the season for the Bruins, who are missing Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk after they underwent offseason hip and shoulder surgery, respectively. While Marchand won’t return until late November, Grzelcyk is “ahead of schedule” and could return sooner than expected.

With those injuries come players — both newcomers and veterans– who need to step up, but Montgomery, who’s in his first year as B’s head coach, wants his team to focus on two specific things going into Wednesday.

“I think it’s two-fold. One, let’s be process-oriented and very detailed. Let’s focus on the process. I think it helps with nerves and anxiety,” Montgomery told reporters at Capital One Arena. “And then the second thing is I want this group to show what we do have, not what we don’t have to start the season.”

Yes, not having Marchand and Grzelcyk is a blow to the team, but there’s nothing they can do until they are fully healthy. So this gives players like A.J. Greer and Jakub Lauko a chance to show they belong on the roster once it’s back to full strength, while players like Nick Foligno and Tomas Nosek could stand to step up and help the Bruins start the season strong.

Puck drop for Bruins-Capitals is set for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday night. The game will air on TNT but NESN will provide an hour of pregame and postgame coverage.