Getty Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery got advice ahead of Game 7.
Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery got some advice from a former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach and a rival coach during his first-round playoff series.
The Bruins were playing the Maple Leafs in Game 7 on May 4, and ahead of the game, Montgomery revealed he got advice from Mike Babcock, who coached Toronto from 2015 until 2019.
“I had a real good discussion with Mike Babcock before Game 6 about owning the moment and how to push your team through,” Montgomery said to the media.
Jim Montgomery got encouragement from Jon Cooper and advice from Mike Babcock before Game 7.
Along with Babcock, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper also gave some words of encouragement to Montgomery ahead of Game 7.
Of course, Cooper helped the Lightning eliminate Toronto in the first round of the playoffs in 2022, before the Maple Leafs beat Tampa Bay last year.
What advice both the coaches gave Montgomery isn’t known, but it did help Boston defeat Toronto 2-1 in overtime on May 4.
David Pastrnak Stepped up After Being Called Out by Montgomery
After Boston lost Game 6, Montgomery called out star player David Pastrnak to step up in Game 7.
“Pasta needs to step up,” Montgomery said.
Pastrnak did just that as he scored the OT winner in Game 7 to give the Bruins the series win over the Maple Leafs.
“It obviously helped,” Pastrnak said of the message from Montgomery, via NHL.com. “You have this conversation with Jimmy. He said the stuff he did after Game 6. I told him, ‘If I am the coach and you are me, I would say the same thing.’ So, I had no problem of him saying that. He’s trying to bring the best out of every single player and he expects more. I just took it as a man and tried to be better. I admitted I need to be better. I still have a ways to be better.”
Montgomery said after seeing Pastrnak in the morning he knew he would step up and have a big game.
“When I walked in this morning, he had a smile on his face, ear-to-ear,” Montgomery said. “He goes, ‘What’s up, coach? You sleep well?’ And as soon as I know he’s in that frame of mind, I knew he was going to be good tonight.”
Pastrnak finished the series with 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points in 7 games.
Bruins Play Florida in Round 2
With Boston defeating Toronto in Game 7, the Bruins will now play the Florida Panthers in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boston will go on the road to play Florida in Game 1 on May 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Heading into the playoff series, Montgomery knows his team has a tough test ahead of him.
“We have a real tough test coming ahead and we know that,” Montgomery said. “We haven’t won anything yet. We’ve just earned the right to play in the second round.”
The full Bruins-Panthers schedule for the second round is as follows:
- Game 1: Monday, May 6 – Boston at Florida — 8:00 p.m. Eastern time
- Game 2: Wednesday, May 8 – Boston at Florida — TBD
- Game 3: Friday, May 10 – Florida at Boston — TBD
- Game 4: Sunday, May 12 – Florida at Boston — TBD
- Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, May 14 – Boston at Florida — TBD
- Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, May 17 – Florida at Boston — TBD
- Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 19 – Boston at Florida — TBD