What Jim Montgomery Didn’t Like About Bruins’ Game 1 Performance

The Bruins got off on the right foot in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. Boston decisively took down Toronto in Game 1 and set the tone for the rest of the best-of-seven series.

But make no mistake: The Black and Gold weren’t flawless Saturday night at TD Garden.

Speaking with the media one day after his team’s 5-1 win, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery highlighted Boston’s weak spots in the series opener as well as areas in need of improvement moving forward.

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“I don’t think we were all that good at the net front,” Montgomery told reporters, per team-provided video. “I think (Jeremy) Swayman had to make a lot of second-chance saves, which we don’t like. Conversely, what could we do better? We need to spend more time in the O-zone. We didn’t do a good job offensively yesterday (Saturday) five-on-five.”

Montgomery’s candor about the Bruins’ shortcomings carried out a theme we’ve seen from the second-year coach this season. The 2023 Jack Adams Award winner hasn’t held back when Boston hasn’t played to its standard, and the Bruins have taken the criticisms in stride and polished their collective game.

As such, don’t be surprised if we see a sharper B’s team Monday night when they host the Leafs for Game 2. NESN’s complete coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET.