Bruins' Charlie Coyle responds to Jim Montgomery's challenge

The Bruins' first week of the season was a mixed bag and they'll be hoping to get going on their first road trip of the season.

Boston lost twice in six days to the Florida Panthers, and Monday's loss at TD Garden showed head coach Jim Montgomery's lack of commitment. He highlighted a player he would like to see step up.

“Charlie Coyle, he looks like he's not up to speed right now, but he's going to get there,” Jim Montgomery told reporters Tuesday in a team-provided video. “He is an experienced player who we relied on in so many areas. I have no concerns about Charlie getting where he needs to be.”

Coyle is minus-5 and zero points in four games. The performance of the middle six lines is generally not up to their standard, and Coyle understood what needed to change.

“I think he’s right,” Coyle said. “There are some games, especially the games we lost, that we are a little hesitant about. We are not on guard and we are not the first to fight. If you arrive late to battles, it's hard to win most of them. I don't say this as an excuse, but we have to be careful. We have to be ready to go to the corners, in front of the net, wherever the fight is, right on the baseline. Everywhere on the ice we just have to dig in a little bit and go into battles and say, “Hey, I'm going to win this thing.” Remember, you'll be amazed at how many times you get the puck or win it. We need to do a little more of that.”

The 32-year-old noted that he needed to come into the game more and simplify his game to help the team better. Coyle and Boston will get a chance to bounce back when they take on the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Wednesday.