Flavin Media

A tweet in the past hour sent Twitter into a frenzy, but we’ll see if it holds up as valid. Regardless, the Bruins should be under a new coach before things become unrecoverable.

Effort: When you have a team with big names that comes out flat as often as this one does, the coach deserves blame. The effort has become such a problem that I don’t even want to single out specific players—because nearly half the offense and defense go into board battles half-heartedly and forecheck with no real intent.

Line mixing: You went out and acquired a two-way center who plays a Bergeron-style game, yet you never committed to a Marchand–Lindholm–Pastrnak line. On top of that, you shuffled the only consistent line you had—the fourth line—while failing to pair players with linemates who historically mask their weaknesses.

Player Development: The worst part of all this isn’t just the mishandling of Providence-to-Boston transitions. You failed to maximize situations like Poitras’ NHL debut, not surrounding him with the right players. And it goes beyond rookies—McAvoy, for example, continues to avoid embracing a defensively physical, lockdown style and remains hesitant to shoot the puck.

I’m mad. You’re mad. But this team should not be missing the playoffs. Plenty of mediocre teams stumble into the postseason, and the pedigree on this Bruins roster suggests they should be doing more than just keeping up—they should be leading.

The era of Montgomery: Exceptional when wanted. Disappointing when needed.