[Photo courtesy of the Boston Globe]The Boston Bruins announced today that head coach Claude Julien has signed a multi-year extension to stay with the organization. Terms of the agreement weren't disclosed but with whatever raise Julien most likely received, many Bruins fans will tell you it was probably well deserved. Leading the Bruins to one of the better seasons in recent memory, he compiled a 53-19-10 record (116 pts) while finishing first in the Eastern Conference and leading his club to winning its first playoff series in a decade with a sweep of hated rival Montreal.
This was undoubtedly an excellent move by the organization. Julien was this season's recipient of the Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year) for turning around the Bruins, who had previous barely sneaked into the playoffs as the 8th seed. In his two seasons with Boston, he's accumulated a 94-48-22 in 164 games (.640 winning percentage). With Julien now locked up for the next few years, there's a lot of buzz for the hockey club. For the first time in a long time, Bruins fans no longer need to ponder about the future but can focus on the now.
With the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots each having won a championship at some point during this decade, the B's have been under some pressure. Constantly being looked at as the team that didn't belong with the others because of underachieving success, it would seem as though "the times are a-changing." With Julien at the helm and a majority of core players still under contract, the Bruins may be closer to a Stanley Cup than ever before.
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