

COMMENTARY



The Bruins two-game weekend winning streak after a six-game slide (0-3-3) -- coupled with the Senators recent three-game skid (0-2-1) following their remarkable 15-1-1 run -- has vaulted the Bs chances of making the playoffs to 72.7 percent, according to SportsClubStats.com.

Boston has just six games left in the regular season, one shy of Ottawa, but the Sens have an uphill battle to overcome a three-point gap between the second Wild Card slot and their current ninth-place standing. The Black and Gold have two games to go against the playoff-hopeful Panthers, along with tilts versus the Red Wings and Capitals, each of whom is only three points ahead of the Bruins for the sixth and seventh slots in the East, respectively. Boston will also face Tampa Bay and Toronto.

The vast majority of us would like to see the Bs advance to the playoffs for the eighth straight year, even though there's a slim chance they pose any real threat in the postseason. A shrinking minority is screaming for the inevitable change that would come along with a playoff-less season, not to mention the incredibly insignificant chance of landing a top draft choice like centers Connor McDavid or Boston Universitys Jack Eichel.

Change may be inevitable for a club thats regressed to a shocking degree from a Stanley Cup finalist two years ago to a Presidents Trophy winner that bowed out in the conference semis last season to one now fighting for its playoff life each time it takes the ice.

If anyone, general manager Peter Chiarelli, who rebuilt this franchise from a postseason bystander to a champion for the first time in 39 years, is to blame. The problem starts at the top.

Chiarelli has mismanaged the salary cap (he's already on the hook for nearly $59 million next season, with Carl Soderberg, Gregory Campbell, Dan Paille, Adam McQuaid, and Matt Bartkowski all set for unrestricted free agency, and only potentially about $13 million to spare), become too loyal to a larger-than-acceptable core (there are still a dozen players on the roster who were here for the 2011 Cup run), overpaid several middle-of-the-road players (see: Chris Kelly and Campbell earn a combined $4.6 million), drafted poorly, dealt away one of the top young scorers in the NHL for pennies on the dollar because of maturity concerns, and failed to replace key cogs at multiple positions, all since the last time his team played in June. Some of the decisions, like trading defenseman Johnny Boychuk in a heavily-criticized salary dump days before the regular season started or extending Reilly Smith (who may have already hit his ceiling) for two years at nearly $7 million, have been downright staggering.

If the Bruins do reach the playoffs and, say, lose in the opening round -- or, worse, miss the postseason altogether -- the regression is enough to warrant a discussion over whether Chiarelli should return in 2015-16. Personally, Id vote for the retooling, but Im willing to see if his club can rally around him, make an improbable run, and perhaps save his job, similar to how it did in 2013 (Bergeron! Bergeron!).

However, playoffs or no playoffs, Claude Juliens job should be safe.

The coach is no stranger to having his employment status in question. Before landing in Boston, Julien was fired by both the Canadiens and Devils. Since his arrival, hes been fired by the fans or media at least a half-dozen times.

Just last week, ESPNs Pierre LeBrun wrote, the Boston Bruins are sitting out of a playoff spot as we write this and that cant be good for head coach Claude Julien, at least if you go by the veiled hints made this season by the owners son Charlie Jacobs and team president Cam Neely. It seems crazy to me that Julien, one of the games most respected coaches and the guy who guided the Bruins to 2011 glory, could be fired. But thats the feeling you get from the vibes coming out of Boston. And if he hits the market, holy moly, thats another huge fish."

Its true; Julien has nothing to worry about in the grand scheme. Not only does he have a lot of loot on the way after he signed a multi-year contract extension back in November, but hed have no trouble whatsoever finding a new gig.

Why keep him, no matter the outcome? There are a variety of reasons.

For starters, the Bruins have reached the playoffs every year since he stepped on the bench in 2007-08, putting up point-totals of 94, 116, 91, 103, 102, 62 (in 48 games), 117, and they have 89 right now. Along the way, theyve won one Cup, advanced to the Finals, and captured three conference titles and four division crowns. Hes amassed a 348-190-78 record. Thats an awfully good track record for arguably the best coach the organizations ever had, even if his critics will forever blame him for a less entertaining defense-first style of play, his need to always roll all four lines, or Tyler Seguins lack of full on-ice maturity while the party-loving phenom called Boston home. Fact it, the proofs in the perennial playoff pudding.

Ultimately, though, theres a more important factor for the instant-analysis, what-have-you-done-for-me-lately crowd: Julien cant, and shouldnt, be blamed for Chiarellis missteps.

The Jekyll and Hyde Bruins failed to replace a 30-goal scorer in Jarome Iginla, dealt away a top-four (at least) defenseman in Boychuk, wished long-time leader Shawn Thornton well last summer before failing to reconstruct the fourth line, and Chiarelli did nothing significant at the trade deadline to bolster his teams playoff chances, while dozens of players were changing homes. Juliens squad also endured a number of significant injuries, but those are the breaks (literally in many cases) and cant be blamed on anyone. It would hurt any team to lose David Krejci and Kevan Miller for basically half a year, captain Zdeno Chara and fellow blueliner Adam McQuaid for about a third of the season, and Dougie Hamilton for the stretch run.

All of this illustrates, whether by poor planning or bad luck, that Julien simply hasnt had the horses this year. And, heres his team, still on the verge of an eighth consecutive playoff appearance in what will widely be described as an off, down, or bridge year for anything short of a roll to the conference finals.

Whether youd prefer to put it on the coach, GM, or several underachieving players, theres no debating its been a disappointing season for a group with higher expectations. Ordinarily, with players like Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic, Krejci, Brad Marchand, Hamilton, Chara, and Dennis Seidenberg, among others, wed expect to be talking about another long run into June.

But one less-than-stellar year for a coach with one arm tied behind his back after so much past success doesnt warrant a change. Ignoring the fact Julien will be paid next year by the Bs regardless, he deserves the bounce-back opportunity. A decision otherwise from Jacobs or Neely would bring about a change in philosophy that might be welcomed by some who desire more offensive hockey, but it may also be met with steps back before steps forward in order to find the right players for that system.

Unless the players have tuned their coach out and require a new voice in the locker room -- which I dont believe, even if that can happen when one person is in the same spot a little too long -- that transition isnt necessary yet.

Follow me on Twitter at @AdamMKaufman and email me here.