Another one bites the dust...

In what could be classified as an expected move, the Boston Bruins fired their long term coach Claude Julien yesterday after 10 years as the teams coach. (the longest-tenured active coach) Quite honestly, for the last several seasons, there have always been rumors that Julien would be fired. Even before the team won the Stanley Cup in 2010-11, Julien always seemed to be on the hot seat. It just never felt he was "comfortable" behind the bench.

Now I am big fan of Julien. I think he happens to be one of the best coaches in the league. However, his style of play, no longer fits with what the Bruins were looking for. Let's face it, Boston is no longer the team they were 3 years ago. The Bruins need to rebuild, and Julien's firing is part of the process. A change was inevitable, and it was the best move that the Bruins management could make. It shows that they understand they have issues, and they are trying to fix the holes in the organization. (and there are many of them) Ultimately the Bruins players have not delivered this year. Ok Tuukka Rask has been a beast in goal. Marchand has been stellar, so has Pastrnak. However, after that, the forwards have been a disappointment. David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron have began to show their age. Chara is on his last legs, and Matt Belesky appears to be one of the worst signing in recent memory.

Now, the Bruins GM and owner don't get off easy either. Sweeney and Neely have been very mediocre in their jobs. This is a team that gave up on Tyler Seguin, and traded away Dougie Hamilton for draft picks. This team was able to remain competitive, even after these poor moves. However, it was just a matter of time before things would turn for the worse. Some might state that things are not so bad for the Bruins. They are only 1 point out of the wild card position. However, if you look deeper, this team is heading for a downward spiral. A spin that might only be resolved by doing a complete overhaul on the team itself.

As for Claude Julien, he should have no problem finding a job. Whether it be Las Vegas, Florida, Dallas, New York, or Vancouver, he will surely be backing coach in the NHL next season.