Marchand laments Julien's 'avoidable' firing

One thing's for sure: Claude Julien had the room.

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand showed remorse when he met with media after practice Tuesday afternoon to discuss the former head coach's dismissal, placing the onus solely on the players.

"It's very disappointing and frustrating in here because this is avoidable if we would have done our jobs," Marchand said.

He also spoke on a personal level, ascribing his own growth into an NHL star to Julien's instruction.

"We have a tremendous amount of respect for him in this room, and we were fortunate to have him as long as we did," Marchand continued. "I learned a ton from him. I can easily say that I wouldn't be the same player if he wasn't my coach for the last number of years."

Julien is the only NHL head coach Marchand has played for. And though he's scored at least 20 goals in each of his full seasons, Marchand's evolved into one of the game's best two-way wingers in recent years, establishing a career high with 37 goals last season and earning his first All-Star nod last month.