NHL insider shocks the hockey world by releasing Bruins Jim Montgomery potential firing details

Just a couple of seasons ago, the Boston Bruins dominated the NHL's Atlantic Division. Now, they're struggling to win a game for the entire season, running mid-division, due in great part to lackluster performances from those players their opponents most fear. The overall decline is even more stunning with the team's past successes and the fact that goaltending was supposed to be a strong anchor for them. Instead, it has been a season full of missed opportunities and inconsistency.

Scrutiny of head coach Jim Montgomery grows, and speculation about his future only gets louder. According to NHL Insider Bill Lindsay, Montgomery's leash is getting shorter and could be gone by the end of November if the Bruins continue to struggle. Coaches are commonly the scapegoat when the team isn't playing well, but it's been a surprise that Montgomery fell so quickly from a contending team to one just barely over .500 and now well below. The pressure on him to right the ship is mounting, and clearly, time is not on his side.

The roster misses longtime captain Patrice Bergeron dearly, as it has become evident how much a part of the Bruins' chemistry and morale he was. Brad Marchand has not found his rhythm, and though David Pastrnak has flashed brilliance at times, it has not been enough to change the tide for the Bruins. Charlie McAvoy, Elias Lindholm, and Hampus Lindholm have been less than spectacular. The underperformance by them has increased the pressure on Montgomery to find a way out and rejuvenate his lineup.

Of course, Montgomery started well enough in 2022-23, when he led Boston to an improbable 65-12-5 season. An early playoff exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers muted much of that optimism, though, and his coaching decisions, specifically as they related to former goaltender Linus Ullmark, started to be a point of contention. When Ullmark left town over the summer, that perhaps hinted at some fissures in the team's locker room and added to the challenges he'll face in 2023-24.

Jim Montgomery's position has become more precarious with the Bruins reeling from an 8-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. If the team's poor play does not get better, it might be Christmas in Boston without Montgomery.