Bruins fire coach Jim Montgomery after brutal start

The Boston Bruins and coach Jim Montgomery have agreed to part ways, the NHL club announced Saturday.

The Bruins, with a 23-23-3 record, second-worst in the league, fired Montgomery after a 2-3-2 stretch in their last seven games, which culminated in a 6-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

Montgomery, 53, was hired by Boston in March on a three-year deal to replace interim coach Bruce Cassidy, who was fired with 14 games remaining last season after a 11th-place finish in the Eastern Conference.

Assistant coach John Gruden will serve as interim coach, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney announced. Sweeney said the search for a permanent replacement will begin immediately.

Montgomery's firing comes as no surprise, as the Bruins have struggled all season, particularly on the defensive end. Boston has allowed more goals (178) than any other team in the NHL, and its goal differential (-48) is also the worst in the league.

The Bruins have also been plagued by injuries, with Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and Matt Grzelcyk all missing significant time. However, even with those players healthy, the Bruins have not been able to find any consistency.

Montgomery is the second NHL coach to be fired this season, following the Vegas Golden Knights' dismissal of Peter DeBoer last month.