As the regular season comes to a close, the Boston Bruins are tied for second place in the NHL with 98 points.
Still, head coach Jim Montgomery is dissatisfied.
Montgomery slammed the squad after a loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and an especially brutal practice on Monday morning, telling reporters that the group was not prepared for the playoffs.
Though the Bruins (41-16-15) are tied for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Florida Panthers (46-20-5) and are on their way to their ninth consecutive playoff appearance, they have revealed some weaknesses this season.
Boston enters the week ranked ninth in scoring (241 goals) and seventh in goals against (200), with a +41 goal difference. Being a top-10 club in all three categories is impressive, but ranking closer to 10th in all three rather than inside the top five may result in another finish just short of the Stanley Cup later this spring.
Since their previous championship in 2011, the Bruins have had some of the best regular seasons in NHL history, only to fall short in the postseason.
Boston lost the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games, with a 2-1 lead disappearing in the final 76 seconds.
The Bruins topped the league in points (117) during the 2013-14 season, but were ousted in the second round of the playoffs. They returned to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019, but lost to the St. Louis Blues in seven games despite leading the series 2-1.
Boston earned the Presidents’ Trophy for the most regular season points in the NHL during the pandemic-shortened 2019-2020 season, but were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.
The most recent and surprising playoff elimination occurred last spring, during Montgomery’s first year at the leadership.
After setting an NHL record with 65 victories and 135 points in the 2022-23 season, the Bruins took on the Panthers in the first round.
They had a seemingly overwhelming 3-1 series lead going into Game 5, but lost in overtime and then by 7-5 in Game 6.
Boston trailed 2-0 at home in Game 7 before scoring three goals in a row. Florida tied late in the third period and upset the Bruins in overtime, winning 4-3.
