Elliotte Friedman makes his feelings known about "jarring" Jim Montgomery exchange with Brad Marchand

Modified Oct 22, 2024 01:05 GMT

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared his thoughts on Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery and player Brad Marchand's exchange. The heated exchange happened on the bench during Saturday's game against Utah and Friedman described it as, "jarring."

Montgomery was seen yelling at Brad Marchand on the Bruins bench after the captain's turnover resulted in a Utah goal in the third quarter.

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Friedman said it's uncommon to see coaches confront star players like this, especially in public. He noted that some coaches avoid challenging their best players and focus more on younger or lower-ranked players. However, Montgomery has shown he's willing to hold top players accountable, as he also called out David Pastrnak during last season's playoffs.

Friedman said on "32 Thoughts," Monday:

"They'll make examples out of, you know, players who are deeper down the roster or younger, and they don't have really the power, and some coaches are afraid to go after those players. You know, Jim Montgomery called out David Pastrnak - not during the playoffs, and he went hard after Marchand."

"You know, it was. It was jarring. I would say, you don't see coaches yell at players like that on the bench too much anymore." Friedman added.

Friedman wondered if there was a deeper issue behind the exchange, possibly due to previous disagreements between Marchand and Montgomery.

"If it's a regular occurrence, you've really got a breakdown in communication between player and coach." Friedman said.

Friedman found the incident surprising but not necessarily a sign of trouble unless it happens again.

Utah HC played well and won over Brad Marchand's Bruins

The Boston Bruins lost 2-1 to the Utah Hockey Club in overtime on Saturday. Michael Kesselring scored the game-winning goal 2:46 into overtime with a wrist shot from the right circle, giving Utah its first home overtime victory.

Vladislav Kolyachonok tied the game at 1-1 in the third period, scoring his first goal of the season. Afterward, Brad Marchand got called out by Montogomery at 13:06.

Cole Koepke scored Boston's only goal in the second period with a wrist shot from the right circle. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Utah played faster and more determined than his team.

“I thought they started faster than us,” Montgomery said per NHL.com. “I thought they were more determined than we were, they were more relentless. I didn't think we managed pucks very well because of their sticks.”

Utah goalie Connor Ingram made 22 saves, while Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves in the loss. Despite having a goal overturned for offside, Utah responded well to win the contest.