Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery is not happy with his squad.
After a fiery Monday practice headlined by Montgomery screaming at his players to “wake the f–k up” during a drill that didn’t meet his standards, Montgomery met with the media and let loose with what was without question his most damning (public) criticism of his team since he took over the job ahead of the 2022-23 season.
“I hated the way we finished the game in Philly,” Montgomery said following Monday’s session at Brighton’s Warrior Ice Arena. “It was a good hockey game. It was playoff intensity, physicality to it. And, I don’t think I’ve done a good enough job of teaching the details and game management that we need. And then we weren’t prepared to practice [Monday], you know. So that’s why [I yelled]. Those things coupled together. Not ready to start practice on times, guys not knowing what we’re supposed to be doing.
“Again, I take responsibility for it. There’s got to be some responsibility on the players too.”
Sep 24, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center John Beecher (19) waits for play to begin against the New York Rangers during the third period at TD Garden. (Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports)
Up front, the Bruins will plug Johnny Beecher back into the lineup after a one-game breather.
(The Bruins even sent Beecher ‘down’ to Providence on Sunday after the emergency recall conditions expired but called him back up to Boston before the team departed for Florida. In essence, he didn’t leave Boston.)
Deployed for 9:13 in last Thursday’s loss to the Rangers, Beecher will look to rebound from an outing that saw him finish with just two hits and losses in seven of his 10 battles at the dot. It was the first ‘meh’ game of Beecher’s second run with Boston, as he has recorded one goal and two points, six hits, and wins in 61.4 percent of his faceoffs.
Beecher will skate to the left of Jesper Boqvist and Justin Brazeau on Boston’s fourth line.
Dec 3, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing James van Riemsdyk (21) gets set for a face-off during the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
With Beecher back in, James van Riemsdyk will return to the press box as a scratch for the B’s.
Dealing with an illness in recent weeks, the 6-foot-3 wing has been scratched in three of the last five games for Boston, and will take a seat after appearing in last Saturday’s meeting with the Flyers. On the ice for 11:38, van Riemsdyk finished with two shots, but was whistled for a penalty that put an end to a Boston power-play opportunity.
The 34-year-old van Riemsdyk has posted just three goals and six points in his last 20 games after scoring eight goals and 32 points in the first 45 games with the Bruins.
Feb 22, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Boston Bruins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (29) passes the puck against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. (Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports)
On the backend, defenseman Parker Wotherspoon will re-enter the Black and Gold lineup after sitting out the last three games as a healthy scratch. Wotherspoon’s jump back into action will come with the 26-year-old back with Andrew Peeke as Boston’s third-pairing combo.
Together for almost 28 minutes of five-on-five action (per NaturalStatTrick), the Wotherspoon-Peeke pairing has been on the ice for an 11-8 shot differential and 2-0 scoring edge, while the Bruins have held a 15-5 edge in scoring chance differential with this duo out there. In almost 46 minutes away from Wotherspoon, Peeke and his non-Wotherspoon defensive partner have been outshot 18-11 and out-chanced 24-12 despite a 2-1 scoring advantage.
Dec 31, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) shoots the puck during the first period of the game between the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. (Brian Bradshaw Sevald/USA TODAY Sports)
And with Wotherspoon back in, Mason Lohrei will return to the press box as a healthy scratch.
In action for the first time in nine days in last Saturday’s head-to-head with the Flyers, Lohrei picked up an assist on the Brazeau goal in the third period of play, and finished with a block and two hits in 16:21 by the night’s end. And though it is worth noting that this was a long, long time ago by NHL season standards, it is worth noting that the Bruins by all means benched Lohrei the last time they were down in Florida, with Lohrei on the ice for just three third-period shifts in the B’s 3-1 win over the Panthers down in Sunrise back on Nov. 22, 2023.
Lohrei sitting in this game feels like the Bruins are bracing themselves for more of a ‘rock fight’ kind of game with the Panthers where they’ll have to lean on their grit more than their skill.
He’ll be joined by Kevin Shattenkirk as the club’s scratches on the backend.
Dec 16, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save during the second period against the New York Rangers at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
And in goal, it’ll be Jeremy Swayman who leads the Bruins out for this contest.
This will be Swayman’s first showdown against the Panthers since last year’s Game 7 at TD Garden, and comes with Swayman in the midst of a skid by his 2023-24 standards, with losses in two out of his last three outings and 12 goals allowed on 79 shots faced (an .848 save percentage).
For what it’s worth, Swayman has saved some of his best games this season against playoff-quality opponents, with Swayman entering tonight’s contest with a 4-2-2 record and .920 save percentage against East playoff teams this year.
