BOSTON – The Bruins return to TD Garden on Friday night for Game 3 of their second-round matchup against the Florida Panthers, as they aim to take a 2-1 series lead.
“It was nice for everybody to get home, see the family, sleep in their own beds. I like our team this morning, they’re calm and focused. I think tonight the juices will get going, especially with our crowd,” coach Jim Montgomery said following Friday’s morning skate on Causeway Street.
Boston’s bench boss added that the Bruins must improve their game significantly from their 6-1 loss in Game 2 if they expect to have success moving forward in this series.
“Florida played an excellent game. Fatigue is an excuse,” said Montgomery. “We’re playing for the Stanley Cup, you’ve got to push through whatever it is. For me, what I didn’t like was our inability to play North, our inability to break pucks out, get pucks out of our D-zone, get pucks through the neutral zone clean, and our lack of forecheck.”
Veteran winger and three-time Stanley Cup champion Pat Maroon said the Bruins must play with emotion in their game.
“I think we should be pissed off,” said Maroon. “Especially about our game, most importantly. Their stuff, whatever. The scrums, them yelling in our face after they scored – it’s over, it’s done with. We gotta be mad here, play with intensity, play the way we’re supposed to be playing.
“We’re winning our battles, we’re doing the same thing, we’re hitting, and we’re playing the simple brand of hockey that the Bruins play. We’re in their face, so we just gotta continue that. The stuff that happened. We know what happened. It stays between this locker room.”
While Maroon said the Bruins need to bring plenty of vigor on Friday night, they also should aim to stay disciplined.
“You’ve just got to stay even-keeled, never too high, never too low,” said Maroon. “Listen, you can’t be taking penalties like myself in between whistles. Their power play’s eventually gonna get one. Just got to be smart between the whistles, play hard, and if anything’s out there then maybe something will happen. But right now, gotta continue to play hard here.”