Boston: It’s not like the Bruins have been dominating the world at TD Garden lately, have they?
Since the 2008–2009 season, the Bruins have hosted more playoff games than any other team in the NHL, yet throughout that time, their home record has only been 19–18. The Black and Gold haven’t exactly had a “home-ice advantage” from Boston, and there’s no conclusive reason why.
“In the 1970s and 80s, it used to mean everything,” Montgomery remarked. “It appears to have diminished… I’ve observed our team under more pressure. I’ve witnessed members of our team just play carefree. All that matters is the current state of the series.
“I also believe that there is a drawback to playing at home: your players are negatively affected when your supporters start to jeer at you. It simply does. It’s not as if players aren’t making an attempt to win. Simply put, there are instances when patience is required, and exercising patience while driving is easier. You can carry on with your game even with a 1-0 deficit. Those factors just do factor in.
The situation has become so concerning that the Boston Bruins have practically pretended to be gone for their most recent home games, lodging in a hotel the night before and using team shuttles to get to TD Garden. When they employed it for the first time, before Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was undoubtedly a good tactic.
Although Montgomery said it’s being thought about, he wouldn’t say if he planned to use it for Thursday’s Game 6 against the Florida Panthers.
Even yet, the Bruins, who will play on Friday, see the advantage of playing at home.
“We’ll get to play at home in front of our fans, which is nice,” Pavel Zacha remarked after practice. Playing at home is always more enjoyable, but we simply need to pay attention to the small things. I see it as a plus because they can give us some momentum.
It’s going to be a wild night at TD Garden, especially if that someone makes it back into the starting lineup. In that scenario, the Panthers may as well start packing for their trip back to Florida.
“Our supporters are fervent, exceptional, and devoted to him,” Montgomery remarked of Bruins head coach Brad Marchand. “I think it’s going to be pretty loud and exciting, if he can go tomorrow.” In Game 6, we’re depending on them to assist us.
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