Jim Montgomery Explains How Similar Brad Marchand, Kobe Bryant Are

One of the reasons Brad Marchand was named the 27th captain in Bruins history is his relentless desire to win and compete, but Jim Montgomery knows that must be managed throughout an 82-game regular season.

Marchand was absent on the ice at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday, but the Boston head coach told reporters it was a maintenance day for the 35-year-old. Montgomery pointed out how the Bruins played four games in six days, and the B’s will need to be sharp when their schedule against tougher.

“Brad was in that situation last year, coming back from surgery,” Montgomery told reporters, per team-provided video. “When you start to get to be in your mid-30s — same thing with (Milan Lucic) — they don’t want to miss a morning skate. They don’t want to miss a practice. What we know about players who perform the best at night is less is more at times. I think Kobe Bryant is probably the best example. I think Marchy’s a lot like Kobe in the sense that he thinks he can just will his way, work through everything. And sometimes pulling back is something you need to do at times.”

Boston’s six-game winning streak was broken Thursday night when it lost to the Anaheim Ducks in overtime. The Bruins must sharpen up when the Detroit Red Wings arrive at TD Garden on Saturday.

Puck drop for the Atlantic Division matchup is scheduled at 7 p.m. ET, and you can catch full coverage on NESN starting at 6 p.m.