Bruins’ Jim Montgomery Concerned With Engagement, Not Results

The Boston Bruins are only six games into the 2024-25 NHL season with a 3-2-1 overall record.

While it’s not the record head coach Jim Montgomery is used, given the Bruins have gone 11-1-0 in the first six games the last two seasons, the bench boss is not overly concerned with the results.

“In the last couple of years, we’ve gotten off to great starts, and we played fast,” Montgomery told reporters in Utah, per team-provided video. “I don’t like the pace we’re currently playing with.

“Being 3-2-1 at the start of the year; look around the league, that’s fine. The record, I’m not worried about. Results, I’m not worried about right now. It’s the process and the process is not consistently to our desires right now.”

What is concerning for the Bruins is the inconsistent play of the top-six forward groups. The top line of Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak. The trio has 12 points combined, but they are nowhere near as dominant as you’d expect the first line to be — especially given the star talent of Pstrnak alone.

Brad Marchand has a team-high four assists and he leads the league with nine penalties drawn, but the Bruins captain is still looking for his first goal of the season. Charlie Coyle has just one goal on the season, and the line’s other wing, vacated by Jake DeBrusk in the offseason, hasn’t quite found the right personnel, with Morgan Geekie, Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau getting looks.

Geekie has had the most looks on the line but has been held scoreless, while Frederic and Brazeau have a point each. The line actually looked its best with Frederic, which generated seven shots in the win over the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 16.

The Bruins’ most consistent line has been the fourth line of Mark Kastelic, Johnny Beecher and Cole Koepke. Montgomery reiterated that even though they are generation offense, he is not willing to break them up and move any of the forwards up the lineup.

“I’m keeping the line together,” Montgomery said. “Maybe I just got to start playing them like 16 minutes a night instead of 12 like I have.”

Even with the lack of chemistry up and down the lineup, Montgomery is more concerned with the forwards’ level of engagement.

“I’m not happy with the puck pressure, especially,” he said. “We’ve always got to be committed to checking and right now, I’m not seeing it.”