For Julien, job opportunities sure to knock
Fired by Bruins, respected coach will have suitors
Claude Julien’s reputation as one of the NHL’s top coaches wasn’t enough to save his job when general manager Don Sweeney decided the Boston Bruins needed a new look.
The Bruins announced Tuesday that Julien was being replaced by assistant coach Bruce Cassidy on an interim basis.
With 10 years in Boston, Julien had been the league’s longesttenured head coach. Now he’s the fourth NHL coach to be fired this season and the second in the last week. The St. Louis Blues fired Ken Hitchcock on Feb. 1. Jack Capuano (New York Islanders) and Gerard Gallant (Florida Panthers) were the other fired coaches this season.
The Bruins (26-23-6) are one point out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference but have played more games than every other team in their division.
With the Bruins losing two of three games coming out of the All-Star break, Sweeney thought a shake-up was needed to point the team in the right direction. The Bruins are 3-5-1 in their last nine games.
Even though it’s accepted practice to fire a coach when a team looks out of sync, a case can be made that Julien had done a quality job this season in keeping this team afloat in the playoff race.
This team clearly needs another top-three defenseman, and veterans Patrice Bergeron and Dave Krejci haven’t produced at the levels they have in the past.
Julien has anointed David Pastrnak, 20, and he has produced 22 goals. Brandon Carlo, 20, also has flourished under Julien’s stewardship. The Bruins have the NHL’s highest Corsi percentage, which is an indicator of puck possession.
It’s not as if Julien’s coaching ability had deteriorated. He has a franchise-record 419 wins in 10 seasons. He might be the NHL’s best defensive-minded coach. If he has the proper personnel, his team should be among the top defensive teams. The Bruins rank 13th in goals against.
Players will feel remorse over Julien’s firing because they know that Julien gives this team an opportunity to win every night. Julien was behind the bench when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011.
Sweeney is facing his own pressure to deliver a playoff qualifier this season. He’s following the GM playbook on how to put a charge into your team during the stretch run. Players often play to a higher level for a new coach. Everyone is eager to prove worthy of ice time. This change might have the desired outcome.
There is no reason for Julien to be concerned about his future. This situation will be similar to what happened when Barry Trotz was let go by the Nashville Predators and Lindy Ruff was jettisoned by the Buffalo Sabres. Julien, 56, now becomes the NHL’s hottest free agent. He could have multiple options this summer.
A case can be made that Claude Julien had done a quality job this season in keeping this team afloat in the playoff race.