Montgomery Impressed By ‘Really Classy’ Makar

After watching the recent World Cup that Argentina won 3-2 in penalty shootout, Boston Bruins and NHL fans had to be grateful once again that embellishment levels in the NHL aren’t on a soccer level just yet. Just in case you needed another reminder of that though, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar made sure he and his teammates didn’t get a powerplay they didn’t deserve in a 1-0 shootout win over the New York Islanders this past Monday.

“I thought it was remarkable that he did it,” Boston. Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery replied when asked about the classy show of sportsmanship by the reigning Norris Trophy winner.

In case you missed it, with 44.7 seconds left in the first period of that game, a referee signaled a penalty on Islanders center Mathew Barzal. Within seconds of getting up from a spill on the ice though, Cale Makar signaled and yelled to the ref’s ‘No call, no call’, and after a quick huddle, the penalty was called off.

The refs called tripping…but Cale Makar told them he just slipped and the call was overturned 😳 pic.twitter.com/KkU0BJPOkS

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 20, 2022

“I thought it was really classy,” Montgomery added about Makar’s sportsmanship. “I know we’re taught to take every advantage that you can but sometimes that happens, and the ref may be in a position where he doesn’t see what happens and it clearly looks like a trip, and I thought it was wonderful that he did it.”

This would be the second time in less than a month that Montgomery has sung his praises on Cale Makar. Back on Dec. 3, following his game-day skate before an eventual 5-1 Boston Bruins win over the Avalanche that saw Makar go pointless, Montgomery said he truly believes Cal Makar could eventually reach Bobby Orr‘s status as the greatest defenseman to ever play in the NHL.

“No, it’s not,” Jim Montgomery immediately replied when asked if it’s ‘an exaggeration to compare the 2022 Norris and Conn Smythe trophy winner to Orr. “Bobby Orr is in a stratosphere by himself but if there’s anyone that’s ever going to come into that stratosphere, it’s going to be him.”

If Cale Makar ever becomes available on the NHL trade market (hell would freeze over first), and Montgomery is still coaching the Bruins, you can bet he’s doing everything he can to help general manager Don Sweeney to acquire the former UMass-Amherst star.