Everybody associated with the Boston Bruins has some explaining to do.
The Bruins are outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture after Thursday’s 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers. Their second consecutive defeat, at the time of the season when good teams are supposed to be hitting their strides, prompted some strong words from general manager Peter Chiarelli.
“There’s a will in trying to put the puck through the back of the net, so there’s that killer instinct and we haven’t had it,” Chiarelli told reporters Friday, according to ESPNBoston’s Joe McDonald. “To me, there’s a collective will. You see teams making pushes and I haven’t seen that (from us).”
Of the Bruins’ struggles, Chiarelli also said, “Everyone is to blame.”
Chiarelli’s own employment future has come under question as the team has floundered. Amalie Benjamin of The Boston Globe asked the GM if he thinks he’ll be around to fix the roster.
“I don’t know,” Chiarelli replied. “I’m not sure. I’m operating that I am until they tell me that I’m not.”
Chiarelli isn’t the only one whose future with the Bruins remains uncertain, as rumors also have swirled regarding whether the team will part ways with head coach Claude Julien. When asked about his coach, though, Chiarelli, offered his support.
“I think he’s done fine,” Chiarelli said, via WEEI.com. “I look at a couple things. I think he’s mixed and matched with the lines, I think he’s integrated some youth into the forward lines. I think he’s done well mixing and matching on the defensive pairs. None of us lately have been used to these type of circumstances, myself included.
“I don’t want to get into postmortem discussion. We’ll have the chance (for that). It’s been disappointing and obviously it’s not acceptable and there’s a level of high standard in our city and our market and we haven’t reached it right now.”
The Bruins are battling the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins for one of the two wild cards in the East. View the complete Stanley Cup Playoffs picture here.
Thumbnail photo via Jerry Lai/USA TODAY Sports Images
