Jim Montgomery surprised by ‘intensity of the playoffs’ as Bruins top Panthers in 3 – 1 win, NHL Twitter reacts

Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery talks about playoff jitters he and the players faced prior and during the match against Florida Panthers at TD Garden arena.

Jim Montgomery surprised by ‘intensity of the playoffs’ as Bruins top Panthers in 3 – 1 win, NHL Twitter reacts

Jim Montgomery [Image Credit: Boston Globe]

The Stanley Cup race has already started with Boston Bruins overshadowing the Florida Panthers during 1st playoff round in a 3-1 victory. The Bruins are this year’s NHL favorite to win the Stanley Cup considering their past gigantic achievements in the 2022-23 season.

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery stated that they were ready for what was to come, but halfway did he realize the intensity of the playoffs, “The intensity of the playoffs surprised us a little bit. I think we had a little bit of nerves.”

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This was the team’s first playoff run without their captain Patrice Bergeron. Although Bergeron was constantly present in their locker room, the 37-year-old couldn’t come up to the roster line. Bergeron’s long-time friend Brad Marchand stated that he motivated the whole team just by staying there.

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Related: WATCH – Brad Marchand DESTROYS Rem Pitlick instantly after an elbow shot to Patrice Bergeron in Bruins 4-2 win against Canadiens

Boston Bruins motivated even without captain Patrice Bergeron’s presence

Boston Bruins [Image Credit: NHL]
Boston Bruins [Image Credit: NHL]

Bruins forward Brad Marchand noted, “Definitely. I think everyone was nervous. I was nervous. I’m sure a lot of guys were. This is what we’ve been building for all year. It’s only normal for guys to feel that way. But it’s nervous excitement, too.”

“It’s a chance for us to build on what we’ve done all year and trust the process.” Coach Jim Montgomery liked the first few minutes into the period until the playoff fever caught the team off guard. The Bruins took lead with David Pastrnak’s power-play goal in the first round, which Marchand took advantage of to give the team a lead over the Panthers.

Marchand said, “They’re a good team. We knew they were going to push hard than they did. When we started turning too many pucks over in the neutral zone and the top of the circles in the second period, we kind of got away from our game“.

Jake DeBrusk said of Bergeron, “He was around all day and kind of talked to us before the game. He’s such a presence. You can tell that he can’t wait to get out there. It gives you a boost seeing him around. We want to do it for him. That was a main goal at the start of the year. We got off on the right foot tonight. But it’s really early.”

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