Bruins' Sweeney and Julien to meet with media Thursday

The Boston Bruins know how to serve up some drama.

After missing the playoffs, being eliminated on what was originally the last day of the regular season, there's been much speculation about the job status of head coach Claude Julien, who completed his ninth season behind the bench.

That speculation will come to a head Thursday, when general manager Don Sweeney and Julien will meet with the media for their season-ending presser. It's at 10 a.m. ET, and if Julien's being let go, he may announce it himself.

It's the second straight season the Bruins will be watching the playoffs instead of participating in them, but only the second in Julien's entire tenure behind the bench. He's had a remarkable run in Boston - Julien is the all-time leader in wins by a Bruins head coach, won a Stanley Cup in 2011, and a Jack Adams Award in 2009.

The Bruins went 42-31-9, finishing tied for third in points with the Detroit Red Wings in the Atlantic Division, at 93. The Bruins actually won one more game than Detroit, but the Red Wings had one more regulation and overtime win, so they're in the dance, and the Bruins aren't. To make matters worse, Boston finished with a plus-10 goal differential to Detroit's minus-13. That's the NHL's standings for you.

Unfortunately, it's a results-oriented business, and while Boston was alive until the final hours, and Julien got more than many expected out of a thin defense corps, the bottom line is the Bruins are one of 14 teams on the outside looking in.