{"id":555149,"date":"2026-04-18T09:31:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T09:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/555149\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T09:31:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T09:31:14","slug":"consistent-messaging-emotion-have-led-to-marco-sturms-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/555149\/","title":{"rendered":"Consistent messaging, emotion have led to Marco Sturm\u2019s success"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a formula for success to the tune of 45 wins and 100 points. A season after missing the playoff for the first time in eight years, Sturm helped guide the Bruins back to the postseason<\/a>, where they will face the Sabres beginning Sunday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s consistent. There\u2019s not a whole lot of surprises. I think by now, we can tell what he\u2019s going to do by the predictability that he\u2019s given us throughout the year,\u201d said veteran forward Sean Kuraly. \u201cAre we going to have a meeting? What\u2019s going to be addressed? What are we going to practice? How long are we going to practice? What things is he going to harp on? What things does he want to see in our team? So, I think one of the most impressive things about Marco is his consistency.\u201d <\/p>\n

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After a three-season run behind the bench for the AHL\u2019s Ontario Reign, where Sturm collected 119 wins and three playoff berths, he was given the reins in Boston.<\/p>\n

It was a goal he had been working toward since his 14-year playing career ended in 2012. It was that time as a player \u2014 including five seasons as a Bruin \u2014 that helped him develop his coaching chops. <\/p>\n

\"TheThe combination of consistency and emotion on the ice made Marco Sturm an impact player in five seasons donning the Spoked-B uniform. Yoon S. Byun\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n

A fiery player, Sturm still flashes that emotion as a coach. Morgan Geekie sees similarity between Sturm and Rod Brind\u2019Amour, his first NHL coach in Carolina, who also wore his heart on his sleeve as a player.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think when you play and then go into coaching, you have that fire and you know what it takes. And you know mistakes are going to be made and all that, but I\u2019m sure it\u2019s a little harder as a coach not being able to go out there,\u201d said Geekie. \u201cSo, it\u2019s great. I mean, he fires us up every time we go out there. And he\u2019s familiar with the Bruins organization obviously, too. So, it\u2019s super cool we could get the playoff berth for him, and obviously wouldn\u2019t be where we are without him.\u201d <\/p>\n

Sturm arrived for the start of training camp with a plan in place. He would usher in a hybrid zone system similar to what he learned during his time in the Kings\u2019 organization. Sturm knew there would be bumps in the road, but he preached staying the course and his players listened.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a pretty good turnaround. He laid a good foundation for us,\u201d said defenseman Nikita Zadorov. \u201cObviously, it\u2019s up to the players to respond. And I thought we did a good job. We bought in right away and you got to give the credit to the guys in the room. They bought into the system. <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe some guys would like to play more open hockey and be a more on-the-rush team instead of like playing grinding Boston Bruins hockey like we are. But everybody bought in: that\u2019s why we are where we are right now \u2014 and we\u2019re not done yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BruisingBruising Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) says Marco Sturm “laid a good foundation” from the start that led the Bruins return to the NHL playoffs this season. Barry Chin\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n

Sturm hired Steve Spott to run his power play, and the two blended well with carryover assistants Chris Kelly, Jay Leach, and Bob Essensa.<\/p>\n

After starting the season with three straight wins, the Bruins lost six straight. They responded by winning eight of their next nine. They hit the skids again in December, losing a half dozen in a row, and eight of 11. Again, they responded by winning eight of nine, and 12 of their next 15.<\/p>\n

Sturm stressed trusting the process, and his players believed in him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were talking about it recently. Sometimes we forget that it\u2019s his first year as a head coach at the NHL level. Obviously he was a great player, but it kind of just shows what he brings to the table behind the bench,\u201d said Geekie. \u201cSo, him and then Spotter and Kells and Leachy, they\u2019ve done a great job for us all year. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd yeah, I think the big one is just sticking to our game. We try to commit to that every time we step out there, and you see us struggle a little bit when we kind of get away from that. So he\u2019s kind of instilled that pretty well in us, and just allowed us to go out there and rely on that when things start to go awry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sturm was able to calmly navigate his players through the tough stretches \u2014 something that really resonated with Don Sweeney.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was certainly pointed out starting out the year. You win a couple, and then you lose six or seven while you\u2019re out on the road. And you know you\u2019re up against it, and you\u2019ve got to bring the guys together because you can start to see a season get away from you,\u201d said the general manager. \u201cAnd that was certainly a touchpoint coming out of the break. Christmas time, we go out on the road, didn\u2019t handle that [well]. So there were times of the year that Marco went back to his roots of communication, the teaching, without necessarily practice time. And that started to exhibit even while we were trying to clinch down the stretch here, right? <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a really, really good stretch (win six of seven to end March). We go down to Florida [to start April], we don\u2019t play well (a 2-1 loss<\/a>). Previously, before that, Toronto, we didn\u2019t play well (a 4-2 home loss<\/a> on March 24). So, there were pockets of games where you . . . I don\u2019t want to say you expect to win, because the league is hard . . . but those are nights you should try and take advantage. Then you\u2019ve got a really tough night the next night. Those were the times where Marco, the panic level, the consistency in his approach to the day, never deviated.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"BruinsBruins general manager (right) says when times got tough during the season, that’s when coach Marco Sturm’s “consistency in his approach to the day never deviated.”Jessica Rinaldi\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n

Kuraly said Sturm became adept at reading the room and pushing the right buttons. Knowing when to lean into guys and when to lean on guys. He communicated with both honesty and humor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the coach is a tricky position. I think you\u2019ve got to balance a lot of different personalities,\u201d said Kuraly. \u201cEven when the team\u2019s winning, you\u2019ve still got obviously guys that aren\u2019t playing or guys that aren\u2019t playing well. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd yeah, I think he\u2019s done a really good job of balancing being light, and understanding that there\u2019s times that you maybe not take the foot off the gas but have a little fun. And also, being serious enough to come prepared and be ready to win games, because ultimately that\u2019s the most fun thing we can do is win games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @globejimmcbride<\/a>.<\/p>\n