Bruins improves the pace in training after three consecutive defeats

The sight was a bit unusual at the start of Bruins practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday after their third straight loss.

The first people on the ice were the five coaches, who casually skated around for about five minutes throwing pucks into the net while the players stayed out of sight. Considering the situation the team finds itself in – 3-4-1 and not playing like a playoff team, let alone a Stanley Cup contender – it had everything to do with the old, reliable ‘players-only’ meeting .

Captain Brad Marchand said this did not happen and said they had a routine meeting with NHL security, among other things.

“No, we just had a lot to do,” Marchand said.

Okay, fine. But when the players hit the ice, the practice was full of energy, strength and physicality, the kind of session you’d hope would happen after three error-filled losses.

“I thought we had a really good practice. Our most important thing is our details and that is what we focused on today,” said Marchand. “We tried to be smart, the way we played with the puck and the way we worked. We did that very well today, at a very good pace. The boys were focused and sharp, so it was a good day. But it’s one day and we have to build on that and get better every day and we need that consistency.”

The chatter on the ice was noticeably high, and Marchand said that was no coincidence.

“It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while,” the captain said. “The more you can communicate about breakouts and checks, the easier it will be for you to get things done. Part of having a lot of new guys two years in a row is rebuilding that chemistry and the more you talk the easier it is. It’s certainly something we’ve been talking about, not just today, but over the last few days. Again, it’s something you build every day and it becomes a habit. The more you do it, the better you will come out of it.”

Coach Jim Montgomery was more concerned with overall energy levels than communication.

“I think part of the Bruins culture is that we communicate, from the top down and from the bottom up,” Montgomery said. “I think the energy level, in terms of what we’ve missed in training and matches, is something we’ve talked about and it’s nice to see the players have a bit more energy and have a smile on their face and are enjoying the scoring goals in training. making big saves.”

The Bruins returned home from their three-game road trip in the early morning hours of Wednesday and got right back at it in Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Stars. Sports science being what it is, Friday might have been a day Marchand would have kept his 36-year-old body off the ice. But certain situations dictate a different course of action.

“When things don’t go your way, the only way out is to work. You have to do it together as a group,” said Marchand. “When you’re missing guys, sometimes it’s harder to have the chemistry you need and get everyone to get through it together. When you go through adversity, you want to go through it as a group and come out of it as a group. It’s great to work on that as a team. It’s how you build a bond. When you go through hard times, the character comes to the fore in your group. We see it now. The boys had energy today, I liked our attitude. But again, the point is to do it every day and not just one day. Something to build on.”

The physicality was also noticeable. At one point, Marchand and Charlie McAvoy had a scary clash in a high-paced two-on-two. That’s part of the business.

“It’s part of your job to be prepared when you go into practice and you’re not talking around,” Marchand says. “We’re going to compete, we’re going to be physical and we’re going to play hard. You have to be ready to hit and ready to be hit. So I think there’s as much responsibility on the guy who gets hit as on the guy who throws the punch. You’re not trying to get on guys’ heads or knees, but part of playing detailed and playing our game is being physical. That starts in practice.”

The things currently bothering the Bruins are more macro than micro. No amount of rule changes will fix them. But Montgomery did make an interesting adjustment, moving Matt Poitras onto the right wing to play with Marchand and Charlie Coyle. What can he risk?

“His patience and the way he makes plays,” Marchand said. “He chases the puck. (Thursday) evening was a good example of this. He’s been really good down low lately, retrieving pucks and making good second and third attempts. I think this can complement our line very well.”

We’ll see if it works. Not much has happened in this young season. The opponent on Saturday night was a team that has cured many of the Bruins ailments over the past decade, the Toronto Maple Leafs. But there are only so many Game 7 losses a team can take before calling it a day. The Leafs should be ready to play. The Bruins better be too.

NOTES: In search of the right line combinations, Montgomery ultimately chose to split the so-called fourth line and move Cole Koepke to the Charlie Coyle-Trent Frederic line. Justin Brazeau retreated to the line with Mark Kastelic and John Beecher. “It’s difficult, but sometimes you need a different dynamic on the same line. That line plays extremely well. We leave two together and bring someone else, and then Koepke can add speed to another line,” Montgomery said. … In a move that was somewhat expected, the Bruins placed Riley Tufte on waivers. Whether he gets released or not, Tufte’s $775,000 salary cap hit should be enough to allow the Bruins to sign veteran Tyler Johnson, who has remained with the Bruins since coming to camp on a tryout contract.

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