Brad Marchand Rips Media Over Speculation On Claude Julien's Job Security
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Claude Julien's job security has become one of the biggest topics surrounding the Boston Bruins in recent weeks as the team has struggled in January. But ask Brad Marchand and he'll tell you that it's only a big topic with the media covering the team.
Marchand scored two of the Bruins' three second-period goals en route to the team's emotional 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday at TD Garden. He was asked after the game about the speculation surrounding Julien's job security and how the team has responded to the criticism being leveled at the coach. He dismissed the idea of the coach potentially being fired.
"The speculation is driven by the media and they don't have the sources that they may claim," said Marchand. "That's not going to happen if we do our jobs. Claude isn't the issue. You fire the coach, what do you do? It's not going to change anything. Claude's one of the best coaches in the game. That's not the answer for this group.
"Again, it's driven by the media. We're not concerned about that in the room. We don't think that's going to happen and we're not thinking about that for a second. So you can put that to bed and let it go now because that's not [an issue] in this room."
Whatever side of the fence you're on regarding Julien, the real problem here is that it had to be Marchand to give the coach a vote of confidence and put the speculation to rest. When president Cam Neely and GM Don Sweeney aren't speaking on the matter, or any matter, to the media - and when they do, they aren't ruling out firing Julien - the media speculation is only going to grow.
If Julien is safe for at least the rest of the season, then it would do the media (and more importantly, the fans) a lot of good to definitively know that. For now, the media and fans will have to go by Marchand's word, because it's not coming from Neely or Sweeney. But if the team falters - and the front office remains silent - the speculation will continue.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
