The Boston Bruins are making a significant leadership change, firing head coach Jim Montgomery after a disappointing start to the season, according to WEEI’s Rich Keefe. Assistant coach Joe Sacco is set to step in as interim head coach, with the official announcement expected before the Bruins’ home game against Utah on Thursday.
Montgomery’s dismissal follows a string of poor performances, including a 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday—marking the team’s third consecutive defeat. The Bruins, now sitting at 8-9-3, have the NHL’s second-worst goal differential at minus-21, a statistic emblematic of their struggles.
Montgomery, in the final year of his contract, had faced mounting pressure after last season’s near-collapse in the playoffs, where the Bruins almost squandered a 3-1 series lead to Toronto. His inability to spark a turnaround this season only heightened speculation about his job security.
Despite early efforts to maintain consistent line combinations, Montgomery resorted to frequent changes in recent weeks, searching for chemistry that seldom materialized. Key players, including Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Charlie McAvoy, became focal points of his frustrations. Marchand faced public criticism during a game in Utah, Pastrnak was benched during a third period against Seattle, and McAvoy was removed from the top power-play unit.
Montgomery’s desperate attempts to ignite the team ultimately fell short. The Bruins rank near the bottom of the league in several critical categories, including goals per game (31st at 2.40), goals allowed per game (28th at 3.45), power-play efficiency (last at 11.7%), and penalty killing (25th at 75.6%). Adding to their woes, the Bruins have taken more penalties than any other NHL team this season.
Joe Sacco, a Medford native with a long history in the Bruins’ organization, will now attempt to steer the team out of its slump. Sacco has been with Boston since 2014 and has overseen a penalty kill unit that, until recently, was among the league’s best. However, he inherits a team plagued by sluggish play, poor special teams, and a lack of discipline.
For Sacco, the immediate challenges will be to inject speed into the team’s game, create more scoring opportunities, and tighten defensive lapses. Special teams, in particular, will require urgent attention if the Bruins hope to climb out of their current predicament.
Montgomery’s firing also places added scrutiny on General Manager Don Sweeney and the roster he assembled. The team’s lack of cohesion and declining performance have raised questions about the construction of the lineup and whether personnel changes are necessary to address deeper issues.
While coaching changes can sometimes galvanize a struggling team, Sacco faces an uphill battle in turning around a Bruins squad that looks disconnected on the ice. If the results don’t improve quickly, the blame may shift further up the chain of command to Sweeney and the front office.
For Montgomery, his tenure with the Bruins ends on a low note, with his efforts to rejuvenate the team falling short. For Boston, his dismissal marks a critical juncture in a season that is quickly slipping away. The hope now lies in Sacco’s ability to reverse the team’s fortunes and restore the competitive edge that has long been a hallmark of Bruins hockey.