Jim Montgomery's latest comment tells the truth about the Bruins ahead of the Maple Leafs

It's been something of a disappointment for the Boston Bruins through the first eight games of the 2024-25 season. They were bullied twice by the Florida Panthers and fell into a trap that led them way out of their game and into the hands of the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

Then came a three-game road trip that began with an impressive 5-3 victory over the struggling Colorado Avalanche, but a 2-1 overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club on October 19 was followed by an embarrassing 4-0 loss -Losing by the winless Nashville Predators last Tuesday night. To make matters worse, they wanted to bounce back on Thursday night at home against the Dallas Stars and laid another egg with a 5-2 loss.

Now the Bruins look to turn things around in the middle game of a three-game homestand against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at TD Garden. Things haven't been smooth sailing for them under first-year coach Craig Berube, but something has to happen. Boston coach Jim Montgomery's latest comment sums up what the Black and Gold must do to find a way back into the win column.

Jim Montgomery's latest quote sums up what the Bruins need against the Maple Leafs

Friday was a busy day for the Bruins. First they held a practice at Warrior Ice Arena, then in the afternoon they granted Riley Tufte a waiver to play for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL). That would mean a corresponding change is on the way, but will it be enough to breathe some life into the lineup and help Boston turn things around against a division rival at home, or do they need to play against Toronto to get the juices flowing ?

“It never hurts to have one of your biggest rivals in town,” Montgomery said. “Both Original Six, last year’s series alone. This raises the tension slightly. Could be a good change. But the main focus must be on our own progress.”

Montgomery is right that having your biggest rival in town should ramp up the tension, but overall the main focus needs to be on the Black and Gold's progress. Too many penalties, turnovers, lack of details in the defensive zone and special teams struggles lead to a 3-4-1 season so far. If they want to turn things around, they need to focus on their progress above all else.