DALLAS – The Bruins know that momentum is not a given.
Despite a stirring third-period comeback on Tuesday night in St. Louis, the Black & Gold must repeat the good habits they displayed over the final 20 minutes against the Blues if the victory is to serve as a galvanizing moment for the club.
“I think the biggest thing for us is understanding that just because we had a good game last game or good areas of the game, we have to continue to reset and have the same mentality that we did in the third to start the game,” Bruins captain Brad Marchand said on Thursday morning at American Airlines Center.
“Just understanding how important each detail is within our structure and not getting away from that when you get down by a goal or you make a bad play and you start to deviate from the plan.”
Coach Jim Montgomery echoed his captain’s sentiments, saying that a strong start would be the “No. 1 key” against the Stars on Thursday night.
“I thought last game for 60 minutes, except for maybe a five-minute spell there on special teams in the second, that we were a really good hockey team, consistent,” said Montgomery. “Our O-zone time was drastically improved, and I think the time that we spent in zone in the first and the second 5-on-5 led to us being able to expose the Blues in the third.
“It builds over time, it’s not something that pops right away when you’re trying to make people defend all the time.”
With their win over the Blues on Thursday, Boston is now 4-1-1 over its past six games, which has helped the team elevate its energy.
“I think it’s guys’ attitudes…[Tuesday] morning, it was really good. The approach we’ve always had is being grateful every time you come to the rink and when you do that, you usually show up in a really good mindset, excited to be here, excited to be at the rink, excited to practice, work through the struggles,” said Marchand.
“You want to embrace no matter what you’re going through, whether it’s good or bad, and find a way to get through it and be better each day. That was kind of the mindset that guys came in with the other day before the game and it carries right through the game, regardless of what the score was and how we were playing, mistakes we made, we just continued to carry through the good mindset.
“Usually, when you do that, it has a positive impact on your play. And it showed up there in the third.”
