Bruce Cassidy gets the last laugh with the Vegas Golden Knights

Remember when the Boston Bruins fired Bruce Cassidy in June 2022? There was an outcry from the players over the head coach's conduct towards his players. A group of players urged management to ditch Cassidy, which led to Jim Montgomery coming to the Boston Bruins.

Of course, this also led to Cassidy being scooped up by the Vegas Golden Knights that summer. Golden Knights fans know the ending to this story, with the biggest party on Toshiba Plaza going down. The former Bruins head coach was hoisting the Stanley Cup and having an old-fashioned dance party on the Strip. Life is good for Cassidy as he's led his new team to first place in the Pacific Division entering Tuesday (24 points).

But what about Montgomery? Well, he did lead the Bruins to the President's Trophy during that same 2022-23 season. They earned 135 points in a single season (NHL record). However, they were bounced by the upstart Florida Panthers in seven games in the first round. It turns out the Golden Knights would dispose of those same Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, defeating them in five games.

It appears that the Golden Knights head coach has the last laugh. His former employer goes through their head coach after two seasons. But the numbers tell a different story. Was Montgomery actually MORE successful than his predecessor? Let's dive into the numbers and see if Bruce Cassidy did a better job since he came to the Golden Knights.

The comparison between Bruce Cassidy and Jim Montgomery is complicated... to a point

When looking at the regular season stats, one thing that jumps out is how Jim Montgomery has been better than Bruce Cassidy with the Bruins.

Montgomery had a record of 120-41-23 (.715 points percentage and .656 winning percentage), compared to Cassidy's record of 245-108-46 (.672 points percentage and .614 winning percentage). However, Cassidy did take the Bruins to a Stanley Cup Final in 2019, losing to the St. Louis Blues in seven games. He also had six playoff berths compared to Montgomery's two.

But what about their tenures with their teams since 2022-23? Montgomery has enjoyed great success with the Bruins, leading the team to a record-breaking season in 2022-23. However, they've been bounced from the Stanley Cup playoffs in the past two seasons by the Florida Panthers.

As for the Golden Knights head coach? He has an overall record of 107-56-19 (.640 points percentage) with his new team. That includes a Stanley Cup (2022-23) and another playoff berth. Overall, he's had a successful tenure with the Golden Knights, establishing himself as one of the best head coaches in the NHL.

So who's the true winner?

Obviously, if you're fired from your job after two seasons, it tells a lot about the predecessor. That's especially true if the prior head coach led his team to the Stanley Cup Final. Therefore, Bruce Cassidy has the last laugh as he continues winning with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Plus, fans can look at what Cassidy did with the Golden Knights. He won the Stanley Cup with the team in his first season. As for Jim Montgomery? He did lead the Boston Bruins to the best record in the NHL. However, the Bruins were bounced from the first round that season, marking a disappointing end to a remarkable run.

There are also the early starts for both teams. The Golden Knights sit atop the Pacific Division with a record of 11-5-2 entering Tuesday. As for the Bruins? They have a record of 8-9-3. Sure, they currently sit in a playoff spot with 19 points. But that's by virtue of playing 20 games. The Ottawa Senators have three games in hand, while the Buffalo Sabres have two. Both teams sit two points behind Boston.

Stanley Cups are the end-all, be-all of any argument (unless it's arguing if Jeff Carter was a better hockey player than Connor McDavid). However, this is the case for head coaches, where Cassidy gets his last laugh. It shows there's more than meets the eye with Boston's current predicament. Meanwhile, fans can expect their head coach to dance on the Strip with the Vegas Belles again.