( Photo Credit: Tony Avelar / AP Photo )

By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan

New Boston Bruins head coach Marco Sturm is entering a critical reset period for the organization. The change from Jim Montgomery and Joe Sacco to Sturm is highly anticipated for multiple reasons.

As much as Sacco tried to maintain the key elements of the Bruins’ style of play, the wheels eventually came off. Sturm should focus on bringing an intense practice environment, emotion on the bench, and a quantity-first offensive mindset to the Bruins’ attack.

Competitive practice

In recent seasons, it became clear that the energy level at practices had taken a hit. Recently departed culture drivers such as Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand had an impact the Bruins could not replace in a short time. Now that the organization can reset with a new leader behind the bench, it is time for Sturm to set a competitive standard for each day of the new season. This will help the veterans understand the persistence needed for a game’s forecheck, while younger players will realize the higher level is not just about putting the puck in the net.

In-game emotion

Although fostering emotion behind the bench can bring varying results, the Bruins need Sturm to provide it during this transitional phase. After what felt like a flat season in terms of player-coach dynamics, Sturm can gain critical buy-in from players who did not show much of it in the prior year. Players can struggle on the ice in the grand scheme of things, but lacking collective emotion on the bench during games is a sign of potential disaster. The 2025-26 Bruins need to be a vocal, expressive, and invested unit if they want to move the needle in any way.

Quantity of shots

With a lineup that will boast more effort than high-end talent, the offensive attack will need to be relentless. With the previous coaches not explicitly emphasizing a philosophy of shot volume, look for Sturm to build on this to complement the group. Of course, this will depend on how effectively the forwards align with the intended style of play. If Sturm preaches volume over quality of shots and the team fails to stay up-tempo on the forecheck, the philosophy could go stale quickly.

If Sturm can successfully deliver on these aspects with a mix of his input and the players’ collaboration, look for things to turn around sooner rather than later. The players are usually the ones to blame for how a season goes, but this situation points to past shortcomings on the coaching side.

Montgomery delivered a high level of coaching with the Bruins until his quality-oriented outlook on offense became outdated with the roster. Sacco was thrown into an impossible midseason situation, with a roster that felt out of place and fans expecting another playoff appearance.

Now that Sacco will have 82 fresh sheets of ice, he can paint over the shortcomings of last season. What better way to set the tempo than with intensity, emotion, and a shot mentality for the entire Bruins roster this season.