When Jim Montgomery Knew Bruins Would Play Well In Game 3

The Bruins’ solid performance Wednesday evening at Scotiabank Arena didn’t surprise their head coach.

After getting pushed around by Toronto on Monday night at TD Garden, Boston bounced back with a 4-2 Game 3 win to take a 2-1 lead in the rivals’ first-round Stanley Cup playoff series. The Bruins fixed a series of issues that plagued them in Game 2, most notably effort in puck battles.

The tone was set by captain Brad Marchand, who inspired confidence in Jim Montgomery long before puck drop.

“Morning skate, I saw the way we were. I saw the way our captain was, and I just knew we were going to have a good game,” Montgomery told reporters, per a team-provided video. “(I) didn’t know we were going to win because the Leafs are a good hockey team, but I knew we were coming to play.”

Montgomery added: “He (Marchand) started barking the first drill. I go, ‘It’s three minutes early.’ He goes, ‘Let’s go!’ I loved it.”

Boston’s head coach “couldn’t say enough” after the game about Marchand, who lit the lamp for the first time this series. Now tied for the Bruins’ all-time franchise record for playoff goals, Marchand netted a go-ahead tally in the third period as well as an empty-netter that put the final nail in the Maple Leafs’ coffin.

Marchand and the Bruins will have a little extra rest before they try to put Toronto on the brink of elimination. The Original Six foes will meet north of the border again Saturday night, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET.