Bruins

“That way we can’t win hockey games, and then we can’t lose as many battles as we did.”

Jim Mongomery didn't mince words Monday morning when asked if he sees the Panthers as the Bruins' biggest rival heading into the 2024-25 season.

“No question,” he said about 90 minutes before puck drop between Boston and Florida at TD Garden.

The Panthers may not be able to boast of the extensive hostilities that existed between the Bruins and other Original Six opponents such as the Maple Leafs and Canadiens. However, thanks to several heated playoff battles recently, Florida has assumed the role of Boston's opponent on the ice in record time.

The pain caused by the Panthers eliminating the Bruins in consecutive playoff runs in 2023 and 2024 is still reflected in a Boston team that appears unable to compete against the top team in the Eastern Conference to pass.

As a result, the early-season clashes between Boston and Florida were met with the same vitriol and contempt normally reserved for the pitched battles of April and May.

“Well, they beat us two years in a row,” Montgomery said of Boston’s hostility toward Florida. “They won the (Stanley) Cup. They reached the cup final. They are the class in the NHL until they get beat. So I mean, if you want to do well in this league, you have to pass it.”

A few hours later, Boston's bank boss made another brief statement in his address to the media.

For the second time in less than a week, the Bruins lost to their biggest rival. It was a disheartening 4-3 loss, especially because Florida was without its top forwards in Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk.

But for Montgomery, it was the way the Bruins let points slip away from them that irritated him more than the final result itself.

“They win the mental side of the fight for us. … Every four games we take at least four minor (penalties),” Montgomery said. “That way we can't win hockey games, and then we can't lose as many battles as we did.

“I mean, they're the standard in the NHL right now when it comes to winning battles and we're not at that level yet. We have to improve this level significantly.”

Similar to Boston's lopsided loss to the Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Oct. 10, the Bruins lost their composure at the worst of times against a squad that thrives on knocking opponents out of the game.

Even without Tkachuk in the lineup, the Panthers made a concerted effort to target David Pastrnak during Monday's matinee. The Bruins' star wing took plenty of penalties in the loss, including a hit from behind courtesy of AJ Greer that didn't result in a penalty.

Just 18 seconds later, Charlie McAvoy took out his frustration over Greer not being called by passing Florida Carter Verhaeghe, which put Florida on the power play.

It took Florida all of six seconds to reward McAvoy and the Bruins, with Sam Reinhart firing a puck past Jeremy Swayman, giving Florida a 2-1 lead at that point.

“Pasta was hit. And I love what (Pavel Zacha) did – he went in and defended it, that’s great,” Montgomery said. “But the punishments afterwards? I mean, it’s just not discipline.”

Through four games, the Bruins lead the NHL with 28 total penalties, including a league-best 26 minor penalties. This lack of discipline hasn't necessarily bothered Boston thanks to a strong start to the penalty kill (90.9 percent, 7th in the NHL).

But it's an untenable approach for the Bruins, especially with their power play (11.1 percent) and top-six grouping faltering from the start.

Three of Boston's top five scorers so far this season are Mark Kastelic (five points), John Beecher (four points) and Cole Koepke (four points) on the fourth line. Meanwhile, Brad Marchand has two assists in those four games, while his linemates Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie are still scoreless.

“They just fulfill their role,” Montgomery said of Boston’s fourth line. “The guys in the top six are not fulfilling their role.”

The Bruins will not face the Panthers again until January 11, 2025. Until then they still have enough time to sort out their goal problems and disciplinary violations.

The challenge for Boston, however, is to ensure that the same mistakes don't creep back into the game when the Panthers are on the ice – be it in January or possibly later this spring.

“Our level of competition and attention to detail needs to be a little better,” Marchand said. “We have to win more battles. They were definitely ahead in that regard tonight. We’ll do it, I’m sure our team will be back where we want it.”

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Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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