Ahead of the second game of their three-game road trip against the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night, Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery adjusted his line combinations. He placed Justin Brazeau, who was a healthy scratch in Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, on the second line alongside Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle.
However, this arrangement didn’t last long, as Montgomery reconfigured the lines during a 2-1 overtime loss. On Tuesday night, as the Black and Gold finish their trip against the winless Nashville Predators, Montgomery is making more changes to the lineup.
Jim Montgomery hitting the panic button ahead of Predators
On Tuesday morning, the Bruins held their morning skate in preparation for their game against the Predators, during which Montgomery implemented significant changes to his top nine lines. In an effort to boost production, he made some notable adjustments, as reported by Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.
#Bruins AM lines, D pairs, goalies:
Marchand-Lindholm-Pastrnak
Jones-Coyle-Frederic
Zacha-Poitras-Geekie
Beecher-Kastelic-Koepke
Brazeau, TufteMcAvoy-Lindholm
Zadorov-Carlo
Peeke-Lohrei
WotherspoonSwayman
Korpisalo— Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) October 22, 2024
The line adjustments made by the Bruins’ third-year coach were certainly noteworthy. Marchand was moved to the top line alongside Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak, while Pavel Zacha, previously on the top line, dropped to the third line with Matthew Poitras and Morgan Geekie. The second line featured Max Jones and Trent Frederic alongside Charlie Coyle, and in a sensible decision, the fourth line remained unchanged since they have been the team’s most effective unit over the first six games.
The term “line shifting” suggests that as the Bruins prepare for their seventh game of the season, Montgomery may be feeling a bit of urgency. He mentioned that he aims to support players and foster chemistry within the team.
“Trying to generate some chemistry,” Montgomery explained after the morning skate. “It’s been inconsistent in our first six games, so we’re exploring different ways to support certain players and keep others on their toes.”
With just one goal in the previous game and another in a 2-1 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Kings earlier this month, it’s evident that Montgomery is concerned about the team’s sporadic offensive production. Making significant changes this early in the season often signals a sense of urgency.
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