Bruins Players Not Blaming Julien, Hope To Have Core Back For Another Run
BOSTON (CBS) -- There is an important lesson to be learned by the Boston Bruins, who missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years this season.
"Nothing is guaranteed," captain Zdeno Chara said at his locker on Monday, the day the Bruins cleaned out their things and parted ways for the offseason. "That's, for sure, something that we all have to again go back to and start fresh next season. Just because somebody's [saying you're a] team that could be competing for the Stanley Cup or a team that previously won something – nothing is guaranteed."
An inconsistent Bruins team was in the playoff picture for much of the 2014-15 season, but fell out of contention with three straight losses to close the year. By the final night of the season, they didn't even control their own destiny.
It was a drastic change for a Bruins team that has been Cup contenders ever since they hoisted the wonderful trophy over their heads four years ago in Vancouver.
"Obviously it's disappointing to be out of the playoffs and not have a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup, which we've been used to the last seven years," said forward Milan Lucic. "But now that I've had a day to kind of let it sink in and think about things, with all the hockey that we've played over the last seven years, you've got to make the most of this time to get our rest, heal physically and mentally, and prepare for a bounce back season next year."
Boston finished the season with 96 points, which would usually be enough for a postseason berth. But it wasn't the case this season, and the Bruins know they can't use that as an excuse for not playing into late April and May.
"Every year is different. At the end of the day you get what you deserve," said goaltender Tuukka Rask. "We didn't get our game to the level we wanted or needed, so getting 96 points isn't going to make us feel better. At the end of the day, we failed as a team."
When a season ends abruptly, fingers tend to get pointed. That's been happening for much of the last month, with most of the blame placed on general manager Peter Chiarelli, and more recently, on head coach Claude Julien.
But the players were very quick to take their share of the blame -- if not the bulk of it -- on Monday.
"I think it's really about us not playing to our potential," said Patrice Bergeron. "No one is going to stand here and say they had a good year or over-achieved. It's definitely a down year for us, and we didn't get the results because of it."
"I don't think the message is stale at all," added Brad Marchand. "If guys don't want to believe in that message, and they don't want to take the game plan given to us and execute it, that's on us. I think it's proven it works and it's a great system... That's on us for not executing."
While it's unclear how drastic they will be, changes are certainly coming for the Boston Bruins.
"As a player, those are the things that are out of your control, and you just hope that a group can stay together as long as it can," said Lucic. "You trust that the GM and the whole management group are going to do the best they can to put the best team on the ice. As a player, that's all you can really do, is just trust in the management group that they're going to do the best that they can to put the best team on the ice moving forward."
Despite the disappointing end the team had this year, Bergeron is hoping the core group gets another shot next season.
"I believe in this group and I hope it stays the same. At the same time we understand the situation and understand it's a business," he said. "The bottom line is you have to win in a city like Boston, which is a great thing. It always challenges you, with all the other sports, and with the fans.
"The bottom line is we have to regroup and come back a lot stronger next year," said Bergeron.
"This is a feeling that we don't want to experience again," said Lucic. "We have to use that as motivation for the offseason, for everyone to get themselves better, personally, and you hope that's the mindset heading into this offseason."