The Boston Bruins are doing everything in their power to save this season.
Three points ahead of the Panthers and four ahead of the Flyers for the final NHL playoff spot in the East, head coach Claude Julien and GM Peter Chiarelli have cast about, seeking deals and upgrades and some type of magical formula to return this too-talented-to-be-failing team to the prominence it so recently boasted.
The hard truth of the matter is, Julien and Chiarelli - and especially Chiarelli - may not just be trying to save this NHL season - they may be trying to save their jobs as well.
This, according to a report from Larry Brooks of The New York Post, may not be first time their job security has come into question.
"So, if the Jacobs ownership was 10 minutes away from firing GM Peter Chiarelli and coach Claude Julien when the Bruins were down 4-1 to the Leafs with time running down on Game 7 of the first round in 2013 before their historic rally to win it, as we were told by a man who knew the plan, then what will the fallout be if Boston misses the playoffs this time?
"We're betting that the GM will be named Cam Neely by the time of the Entry Draft."
Neely is currently in his fifth season as the Bruins team president, which means that he "oversees all of the club's hockey and business operations," per the team website. During his playing days, Neely was the perfect embodiment of the talented, but physical, style the Bruins have become known for.
The expectation is that Boston's ownership will take a wait-and-see approach on both this season and the job statuses of their two top hockey men, but Chiarelli admitted recently that he knows a down season could mean changes are in store.
"Whether it's Cam or Charlie who said we're all under review, I understand that," Chiarelli said, per Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe. "We've had a lot of success here in my tenure and Claude's tenure. We're having a down year. It's unfortunate that we're under review for one year. But I understand. We've got to make things better."
Chiarelli will continue to seek out a trade ahead of the NHL's March trade deadline but, even if he is successful in his efforts it may not be enough to save the Bruins season or his job.
