‘That’s what it’s going to be the rest of the year’: Bruins’ Jim Montgomery explains why every game feels more physical
Most of Boston's final 10 regular season games are against teams in the playoffs or fighting for a wildcard spot.
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For the second straight game, the Bruins seemed to lose the battle of physicality, which resulted in a loss on the scoreboard in both instances.
Jim Montgomery knows it doesn’t get any easier from here.
As March winds down, so does the NHL regular season. With 10 games remaining before the playoffs, Boston is all but guaranteed a high seed in the playoffs. The teams its playing, however, have much more at stake. Because of that, every game will have a playoff feel from here on out.
“I just told the team, that’s what we have to get used to. That’s what it’s going to be the rest of the year,” Montgomery said of the extra physicality and desperation on Saturday. “So, you have to have second and third efforts to create offense, and you have to be desperate getting back above the puck defensively.”
Nearly all of the Bruins’ final 10 regular season contests are against teams either already in playoff position or fighting to get in. Ottawa is the only remaining draw not on the verge of a playoff spot, while the Penguins are also unlikely to reach the postseason.
The other eight games are against teams squarely in the playoff hunt.
“I think we’re starting to see, the last two games, tight checking from teams that are either in the playoffs or desperate to stay in or get in,” Montgomery said on NESN’s postgame interview. “I thought our checking was really good, too, but we had a couple mistakes there. It cost us.”
The Bruins are exceeding preseason expectations, but making a deep postseason run will require more resilience than the team has displayed of late. Finding another gear in the final stretch against desperate teams will be key for Boston’s playoff success.
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