Old haunt: Too many men on ice
BEDFORD — “too many men on the ice” are words that haunt longtime bruins fans, who bear deep scars from montreal,
1979. the current bruins have yet to lose a playoff game because of one of those penalties, but they are playing with fire.
only five nhl teams have committed more too-many-men infractions in a single postseason than the 2023-24 bruins, and those teams collected theirs over a full spring.
the bruins, with five such penalties in nine games, are on pace to smash the league playoff record — six — as they enter friday’s game 3 of the second round against florida.
“It’s good to set records. It’s a positive, right?” coach Jim
Montgomery replied sarcastically to a reporter noting that fact. “like I said, I take full responsibility. I have to be clearer. I have to be louder. And if I have to start grabbing people’s pants so they don’t jump when they shouldn’t, I’ll start doing that.”
the panthers were leading, 2-1, in the second period of game 2 wednesday when the bruins got crossed up yet again. their latest counting error came 23 seconds after they killed a brandon Carlo hooking minor. If they had any flow to their game, it was halted.
“All of us together — the communication, receiving the communication — needs to be better,” montgomery said. “last night, there was no excuse for the too-many-men.”
montgomery’s frustration was apparent when he reviewed the situation to reporters thursday afternoon at hanscom field.
“I’d like to say it’s easy to solve with our group,” he said. “I think it is easy to solve. but it’s a different player, at a different moment.
“And it’s sometimes the guy coming to change stops and goes back, the guy watching the guy coming to change has to watch him to the bench, while he knows where the puck is. the last two were guys jumping when it wasn’t supposed to be them going on the ice.
“that’s why I say, all these things, it’s clear that it’s my responsibility to make them better in those areas. I don’t want to answer anymore. thanks.”
the teams that messed up more than the bruins include the 2021-22 lightning, who committed their six infractions over 23 games; the 2014-15 lightning (26 games), the 201213 bruins (22 games), the 201011 canucks (25 games), and the 1990-91 penguins (25 games).
All of those teams made the final, but only the ‘91 penguins skated the stanley cup around on those jittery legs.
“we’ve got to sharpen up,” winger James van Riemsdyk said. “It’s the playoffs, so there’s always going to be different matchups and line matching and line juggling that goes on, so it’s up to us to be a little bit more plugged in for when we’re jumping on.
“that’s usually how it goes. usually guys on the bench will call out who they have. I think we have to maybe be a little more vocal so everyone on the bench can hear. If two guys say they have the same guy, we know something’s wrong.”
van Riemsdyk was a 20-yearold rookie on the 2009-10 flyers team that committed five too-many-men penalties, but said he didn’t remember them taking that many.
bruins fans have different memories.
A too-many-men call helped the flyers strike the deciding blow of that painful series, which the bruins once led, three games to zero. As the bruins lost a 3-0 lead in game 7,
Vladimir sobotka and Milan lucic had a mix-up when Marc savard changed off, and simon Gagne scored the series winner on the ensuing power play. forty-five years ago, Don
Cherry’s lunchpail Ac bruins were leading game 7 of a stanley cup semifinal when they were whistled for too many men. Guy lafleur struck on the power play to tie it, yvon lambert scored in overtime, and the montreal forum ghosts cackled with delight.
the bruins, who have killed 28 of 30 penalties this postseason, have not allowed a powerplay goal on any of their toomany-men sentences. they are 2-2 in games in which they take one.
It hasn’t taken a chunk out of the bruins. Yet.
a verbal fist-bump
montgomery on David pastrnak answering the bell against Matthew tkachuk in game 2: “If I had to choose one word, inspiring.” . . . As of thursday, Charlie Mcavoy led the playoffs in total ice time (231 minutes), averaging 25:40 a game. only hampus lindholm (nine) has been on the ice for more goals against than mcAvoy (eight, tied with Dallas’s
Miro heiskanen and edmonton’s Cody Ceci, leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-hopkins for second). “I think mcAvoy has been a horse for us in the playoffs,” said montgomery. “Did he have his best game last night? no. I don’t think there was a bruin, except for maybe [Jeremy] swayman, that had his best night last night. the fatigue factors in. he is our biggest minute-cruncher. he’ll be ready tomorrow night.”
Minding business
montgomery hadn’t decided on a netminder for game 3, but he said that linus Ullmark “looked really good” in his 18:32 of game 2 work. ullmark allowed a shorthanded goal and a power-play goal on 10 shots
. . . montgomery on defenseman andrew peeke, who has been out since game 3 against the maple leafs with a suspected left hand injury: “he’s getting closer. we’ll know more tomorrow morning. but he’s getting closer.” . . . Danton heinen (undisclosed) remains day-to-day
. . . the nhl’s postgame audit reduced the game 2 hit totals from 70 (boston) and 76 (florida) to 60 and 65 . . . the bruins stayed in a team hotel before game 7 of the toronto series, montgomery hoping to encourage team bonding and shield the players from distraction. After four nights in south florida, they slept in their own beds before game 3.