What Bruins’ Jim Montgomery Told Staff Before Game 7 Overtime
Jim Montgomery’s Bruins found themselves in familiar territory Saturday night.
For a second straight season, Boston was pushed to a Game 7 in its first-round Stanley Cup playoff series after holding a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven set. And just like last year, the Bruins’ latest do-or-die showdown wasn’t decided in regulation.
One might have expected Boston to enter overtime against Toronto a little tight. After all, the B’s dropped Game 7 in sudden death last season and the Maple Leafs took a two-game win streak into TD Garden. But Boston was the aggressor in OT, and its confidence came from the top.
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“I said to the staff, ‘You know, we’ve gone to overtime in the playoffs four times — twice last year and once (already) this year and it didn’t feel like we were going to seize the moment,'” Montgomery told reporters Saturday night, per MassLive. “I felt, and I told the staff this, ‘I’ve never felt this confident about our group going into overtime.’ You could just tell there was a difference in our attitude.”
The Bruins proved their coach right by winning Game 7 less than two minutes into overtime. The ending was rather fitting, as David Pastrnak played the role of hero two days after he was publicly challenged by Montgomery.
“Experts” and oddsmakers will tell you the Florida Panthers have a better chance than the Bruins to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. But we’ve learned enough about the mindset of Montgomery’s side to know Boston won’t feel outmatched in Round 2.