The Bruins had their hands full with the Sharks just two weeks ago in San Jose, as they needed two tallies from David Pastrnak (one at 16:45 of the second and the other at 9:00 of the third) to break a 2-2 tie and secure a 4-2 victory at SAP Center.
"They gave us a lot to handle the last time we played them," said Montgomery. "They actually, I think, had more Grade A opportunities than we did. We just finished ours. They go really hard to the net. They skate extremely well and transition really well. And you have to be very aware of [Erik] Karlsson."
Karlsson, who had his 14-game point streak snapped in that loss to the Bruins, has collected eight points (two goals, six assists) in the six games since that meeting. For the season, the Swede has posted 62 points (15 goals, 47 assists) in 47 games, leading all NHL defensemen in each major offensive category.
"He's kind of like a surgeon," said Montgomery. "He's going to dissect you with his ability to buy time, bring a couple of people to him. Yeah, he's like a surgeon. You give him time and the way he holds the puck and freezes everybody in all three zones, especially the offensive zone, he just waits for sticks to move and then he throws it through seams."
"Make him a focal point, that's what we tried to do," Montgomery added when asked how to slow Karlsson down. "I still think he created stuff; it didn't go in the net that night. We need to do a better job against him, to be honest. And he's a focal point again tonight."
San Jose, which has dropped four of six since the meeting against Boston on Jan. 7, is seventh in the Pacific Division with 37 points (14-24-0).
