Trophy Tracker: Montgomery remains choice for Jack Adams as coach of year

To mark the conclusion of the 2022-23 regular season, NHL.com is running its fifth and final installment of the Trophy Tracker series this week. Today, we look at the race for the Jack Adams Award , given annually to the top coach in the NHL as selected in a vote by the NHL Broadcasters' Association.

Time will tell if the NHL Broadcasters' Association votes Jim Montgomery winner of the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year this season.
Undisputed is one word summarizing his first season with the Boston Bruins. Historic is another.
The Bruins have set the NHL record for wins in a season with 63, and with two games remaining their 131 points are one behind the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens for the League mark.
Montgomery was the unanimous choice for the Jack Adams according to a panel of 16 NHL.com writers. He also was first in NHL.com's poll at the three-quarter mark in March, receiving 15 of 16 first-place votes.
Lindy Ruff of the New Jersey Devils was second with 55 voting points, and Bruce Cassidy of the Vegas Golden Knights was third (27).
"For our team, it means that everything that we believe in," Montgomery said after the Bruins' 5-3 victory at the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday that set the League wins record. "Being process-oriented, staying in the moment, caring about each other, respecting each other, and how hard we play for each other, I think the word team is exemplified with that group in there."
The Bruins started 10-1-0 and were 21-3-1 on Dec. 7. They have four seven-game winning streaks, topped by a 10-game run from Feb. 14-March 4, and their victory Sunday extended their current winning streak to six.
They clinched the Atlantic Division on March 25 and the Presidents' Trophy on March 30. The Bruins have an NHL-best plus-123 goal differential; the Edmonton Oilers are second at plus-65. Boston has scored 108 goals in the third period and allowed 57, best and fewest in the NHL, respectively, and is 46-1-2 when leading after two for an NHL-high .939 points percentage.
"It's been a lot of fun, I'm not going to lie," Bruins forward David Pastrnak said. "It's been enjoyable, especially the group we have here. Obviously the [wins] record is amazing but we're building toward something bigger than the NHL record. That's our focus."
The Bruins can secure their legacy by winning their first Stanley Cup championship since 2011. The Cup eluded the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning, the previous co-record holders of 62 wins. What will help Boston this season is pedigree and young stars in the prime of their NHL careers.
It starts with Pastrnak, a 26-year-old with NHL career highs of 60 goals and 109 points, and Linus Ullmark, a 29-year-old who's 38-6-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average, .938 save percentage and two shutouts and is a projected finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the League.
Forwards Patrice Bergeron (57 points; 27 goals, 30 assists), Brad Marchand (63 points; 20 goals, 43 assists) and David Krejci (56 points; 16 goals, 40 assists) remain from the 2011 champions. Forward Pavel Zacha arrived in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on July 13, has NHL career highs in goals (21), assists (36) and points (56). Forward Jake DeBrusk, one season after requesting a trade, has an NHL-best 48 points (25 goals, 23 assists) in 62 games.
Most important, Montgomery has coached, led and mentored to his mantra of living in the moment.
"We don't talk about winning the Stanley Cup now, we talk about Game 1 [of the playoffs]," he said. "That's going to be our focus … not looking too far ahead. That creates anxiety. We believe in staying present and our process allows us to have success and we have a lot of details within our process."
Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1- basis): Jim Montgomery, Bruins, 80 points (16 first-place votes); Lindy Ruff, Devils, 55; Bruce Cassidy, Golden Knights, 27; Dave Hakstol, Seattle Kraken, 19; Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche, 19; Dean Evason, Minnesota Wild, 12; Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina Hurricanes, 12; Peter DeBoer, Dallas Stars, 7; Todd McLellan, Los Angeles Kings, 7; Lane Lambert, New York Islanders, 3; Don Granato, Buffalo Sabres, 2, Rick Bowness, Winnipeg Jets, 1
NHL.com deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman contributed to this report