Jim Montgomery Calls Out Brad Marchand & The Officials After Their Loss

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Hunter Bowman
November 13, 2023 (10:18)

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As the Boston Bruins appointed Brad Marchand as the 27th captain in franchise history for their centennial season, discussions around the forward's spirited reputation took center stage.

Despite Marchand's evident maturity in his 14 seasons with the Spoked-B, his history of getting under opponents' skin and occasional boundary-crossing has resulted in 28 games of suspension for the 35-year-old.

General manager Don Sweeney and head coach Jim Montgomery have observed Marchand's leadership both on and off the ice. However, following the Bruins' overtime loss to arch-rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, Montgomery openly criticized the captain.

In the third period, with the Bruins trailing 2-1, Marchand expressed discontent to referee Chris Lee, leading to a penalization for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"Can't take those penalties. It's inexcusable," declared Montgomery in his post-game remarks, emphasizing the roles of referees and players.

This season, Marchand has incurred seven penalties, with this incident marking his first for unsportsmanlike conduct. The captain offered no excuses for his actions.

Despite Marchand's time in the penalty box, the Bruins thwarted the Canadiens' attempts to capitalize on the man advantage. Marchand's power-play goal leveled the score, forcing overtime. However, he acknowledged the need for improvement in handling such situations.

"I don't know how it gets any more obvious than the call that he missed there," Marchand remarked after the loss, recognizing his emotional lapse. "But, I can't let my emotions get the best of me there. It is what it is."

The defeat snapped a 10-game winning streak Boston held over Montreal. The Bruins aim to initiate a new streak when they host the Canadiens on Saturday night, marking Montreal's sole visit to TD Garden this season.

Source: Bruinsinsder