Plenty of NHL coaches on thin ice in early going
Next question.
That was how head coach Claude Julien responded when he was asked following Monday’s 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning if he thinks his job is in jeopardy. Indeed, one week into the season is a bit premature to be wondering about if a coach is going to get fired. And yet, Julien cannot be surprised that questions are already being asked.
Even before the season started, Julien was on the hot seat after the Bruins fired general manager Peter Chiarelli and then significantly changed the roster. That Boston stumbled out of the gates to 0-3-0 has only further increased the temperature.
Not all of this is Julien’s fault.
Julien did not trade Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton in the summer and then fail to replace them with capable alternatives. He is not the reason why Tuukka Rask — the bedrock on which the Bruins stand — has allowed 14 goals in three games. And yet, with the team in transition, it is likely going to be Julien who gets blamed for how Boston is playing.
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