How Bruins’ Johnny Beecher Handled Benching From Jim Montgomery
Bruins center Johnny Beecher didn’t slot into his usual spot on Boston’s fourth line in Saturday’s overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Beecher was forced to watch the Bruins’ dramatic 4-3 road victory from near the rafters, with head coach Jim Montgomery deciding to make the young centerman a healthy scratch for the first time all season.
Beecher, who saw an uptick in offensive production with three goals in six games before sitting out, took the demotion in stride as it offered a reset to focus on what the Bruins want out of him on the ice.
“I had a meeting with Monty,” Beecher told the Boston’s Herald Steve Conroy. “He just kind of called me in and asked me how I thought I’d been playing. And I just said there really hasn’t been anything too fantastic going on, not playing the game fast enough. And he just said that I needed to be harder to play against, more detailed, more physical, just playing a more well-rounded game. I wasn’t too shocked at the end of the day. I hadn’t been playing up to the standards they have for me and the standards I have for myself. Obviously, I want to be better and these guys deserve my best.
“At the end of the day, they just wanted me to watch a game, see it from above, see what it takes to be a hard player to play against, watching (Charlie) Coyle, (Danton) Heinen, (Brad Marchand), guys that very rarely lose puck battles. They’re always in the right spots. And just had to take it as a learning curve and move forward.”
Beecher didn’t stay out of the lineup for long. He was back on the ice for Boston’s 3-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, getting 11:45 of ice time and winning four of six faceoffs.
Beecher did commit a third-period penalty, but overall, Montgomery was pleased with the way the 22-year-old responded.
“I thought he did a good job,” Montgomery told reporters, per Conroy. “I thought his line brought energy. They spent a lot of time in the offensive zone, which is always a good sign when your bottom two lines can spend O-zone time and extend and wear out the other team’s top players.”
Beecher, who has four goals and one assist in total this season, will look to avoid anymore future benchings, starting when the Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night from TD Garden. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
