Mike Babcock finally found a way to get back at the Maple Leafs

Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery admitted after Game 7 that he had received encouragement and advice from Mike Babcock and Jon Cooper before the game.

The Bruins dispatched the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round for the third time since 2017-18. Jim Montgomery wasn't the head coach for either of the first two matchups but in his first taste of Toronto-Boston playoff hockey, he came out on top in a gruelling 7-game series that ended in overtime.

Admittedly, the bench boss of 4 seasons mentioned after their series clinching victory that he had received encouragement and advice from unlikely but familiar sources in Jon Cooper and Mike Babcock.




Cooper being the head coach of the division-rival Tampa Bay Lightning seems like a very unlikely source to help out but they are good friends off the ice and have worked together in international settings. However receiving advice from Babcock just seems like another slap to the face for the Maple Leafs organization and fan base.

Babcock was controversially let go by the Maple Leafs in November of 2019 after allegations of the veteran bench boss creating a toxic work environment. His actions off the ice eventually came to the surface and it essentially put an end to his coaching career in the NHL. He tried to make a comeback this summer but was let go just before the regular season commenced by the Columbus Blue Jackets for almost the same exact reason.

Helping out a division rival and your former employer just shows that the Maple Leafs might not have many friends out there. Whatever they told Montgomery must have worked because the Bruins looked a lot better in Game 7 than what they brought to the ice in Games 5 and 6, ultimately having just enough juice to take the series and play on in round 2.