"I coached against him for two years in the USHL and he was the best defenseman on the other team," said Montgomery. "That was a real tough playoff series, so I know how smart he is, poised he is, and manages the game well. And I think he's going to help us tonight against a team that you need to manage your game while against."
Renouf will get the call on Monday night as the Bruins host the Florida Panthers at TD Garden with injuries mounting on the back end. Already down Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk to begin the season, Brandon Carlo suffered an upper-body injury during Saturday's win over Arizona and will not be in the lineup against the Panthers.
"Signing here, I wanted to play for the Bruins. I've never played at the Garden. I'm excited. Hopefully I can help the boys get a win tonight," said Renouf, who will play on Boston's third pairing alongside Jakub Zboril. "I've been here before [at the NHL level]. I've played some games up and I kind of know what I've got to do. Just enjoying every day and making sure I make the most of this opportunity."
The 28-year-old, who has suited up for 23 NHL games over the course of three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings (2016-17 and 2021-22) and the Colorado Avalanche (2020-21), was signed to a two-year, two-way contract with the Bruins over the summer. And after a strong training camp showing, Renouf was first defenseman to get the call from Providence.
"I was really happy with how [camp] started. I didn't love my last preseason game, but it was good to kind of show management and the coaches my style of play," said Renouf. "I was happy with it and it seemed like it worked out if I'm getting a shot right now."
Montgomery also felt that the 6-foot-1, 198-pounder's style of play was similar enough to Carlo's that it could help fill the void. Renouf described his game as "solid and mistake-free" while being "hard to play against."
"I think that's what kind got me here and I just need to show it at this level on a night-in, night-out basis," said Renouf. "I think that's kind of my bread and butter, being a steady guy that stays back. But in the new NHL hockey, even from my rookie year, I've incorporated being up the ice and being part of the breakouts and kind of being able to create offensively in the O-zone. It's something I've been working on my whole career, being a 200-foot player."
With Renouf in the lineup, the Bruins will have five left shots on the back end - Connor Clifton is the only right shot - which will provide a challenge for the Black & Gold.
"Like I've always said, you like having people on their strong side, it's easier to see all through the whole ice, right? Your body's turned to receive a pass, you're cutting yourself up from the easiest pass, which is right up north," said Montgomery. "So it provides its challenges, but we think it's the right D-core to help us win tonight."
