It was a bit of an unusual sight at the start of the Bruins’ practice at Warrior Ice Arena Friday following their third straight loss.

The first people on the ice were the five coaches, who skated casually for about five minutes, throwing pucks into the net while the players stayed out of sight. Given 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 all the makings of the old reunion reliable “only for gamers”.

Captain Brad Marchand said that didn’t happen, saying that, among other things, they had a routine meeting with NHL security.

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

Okay, fine. But when the players hit the ice, the practice was full of spirit, vigor and physicality, the kind of session you might hope could happen after three mistake-filled losses.

“I thought we had a really good practice. What matters most to us is our details and we focused on that today,” Marchand said. “We tried to be intelligent, in the way we played with the puck and in the way we worked. We did a very good job today, with a very good pace. The guys were focused and sharp, so it was a good day. But it’s just one day and we need to build on that and be better every day and we need that consistency.

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

“It’s something we’ve been talking about for a little while now,” the captain said. “The more you can communicate about breakaways and forechecks, the easier your job will be. Having a lot of new guys two years in a row is partly about rebuilding that chemistry and the more you talk, the easier it gets. It’s definitely something we’ve talked about, not just today but in previous days as well. Again, it’s something you build every day and it becomes a habit. The more you do it, the better you get.

Coach Jim Montgomery was more concerned about the overall energy level than communication.

“I think part of the Bruins culture is we communicate top down and bottom up,” Montgomery said. “I think the energy level, in what we’ve been lacking in training and in games, is something we’ve talked about and it’s nice to see the players have a little more energy and have smiles on their faces and love scoring goals in training and making big savings.

The B’s returned home early Wednesday morning after their three-game road trip and immediately got back on track in Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Stars. Sports science being what it is today, Friday could have been the day Marchand kept his 36-year-old body off the ice. But certain situations require another course of action.

“When things don’t go the way you want them to, the only way to get through it is to work. We have to do it together, as a group,” Marchand said. “When you’re missing guys, sometimes it’s a little harder to have the chemistry you need and have everyone come through 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 be there and work as a team. This is how you build connections. When you’re going through tough times, that’s when the character appears in your party. We’re seeing it right now. The guys had energy today, I liked our attitude. But again, it’s about doing it every day and not just one day. Something to build on.

The physical side was also noticeable. At one point, Marchand and Charlie McAvoy had a scary collision in a high-pace two-on-two. It’s part of the job.

“It’s part of your job to be prepared when you practice and not linger until the end,” Marchand said. “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 be ready to be hit. So I think the responsibility lies as much with the person who is hit as with the person who gives it. You’re not trying to get to guys’ heads or knees, but part of the detailed play and part of our game is being physical. It starts in practice.

Patient Poitras

The things that are currently suffering among the B’s are more macro than micro. No amount of line changes will fix them. But Montgomery had an interesting adjustment, placing Matt Poitras on the right wing to play with Marchand and Charlie Coyle. What can he bring to the line?

“His patience and the way he plays,” Marchand said. “He follows the puck. (Thursday) night was a great example of that. He’s been very good lately, getting the puck and giving good second and third efforts. I think it can complement our range very well.

We’ll see if it works. There’s not much in this young season. The opponent Saturday night will be a team that has tended to cure a lot of Boston’s ills over the past decade, the Toronto Maple Leafs. But there are only so many Game 7 losses a team can take before enough is said. The Leafs should be ready to play. The Bruins better be too.

Tufte on exemptions

In a somewhat expected move, the B’s placed Riley Tufte on waivers. Whether he’s cleared or not, Tufte’s $775,000 salary cap hit should be enough to allow the B’s to sign veteran Tyler Johnson, who has remained with the B’s since arriving in camp on a contract. essay.

Originally published: October 25, 2024 at 2:07 p.m.