There are far too many key players who have underperformed in the first three months of the season, and there was no excuse for not being ready to play last night. The power play has been an unmitigated disaster, and it took the coaching staff months before finally installing Pastrnak on the top PP unit just prior to his elbow procedure. All of these things can be filed under the heading of the coach’s responsibility, and anybody looking at it objectively would be hard-pressed to say Julien has gotten the most out of all his players this year.

If the Bruins falter in these last two road games in Florida and Carolina heading into the holiday break, one has to wonder if there will be a lump of coal and perhaps a pink slip in Julien’s stocking this year.

-Joe Haggerty of CSNNE on the Boston Bruins. Read more on the Bruins from Haggerty.