Bruins make surpising decision on head coach Bruce Cassidy

Dec 29, 2019; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy speaks with the media after a game against the Buffalo Sabres at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Bruins on Monday made a surprising decision about head coach Bruce Cassidy.

The Bruins decided to fire Cassidy, who had been on the job since 2017. Cassidy initially replaced Claude Julien as the interim coach in Feb. 2017 and then was later made the team’s head coach.

The Bruins made the playoffs in every season under Cassidy, including a Stanley Cup Final loss to the St. Louis Blues in the 2018-2019 season. But the team failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs in three straight seasons.

The Bruins lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games during the first round of this season’s playoffs.

“After taking some time to fully digest everything, I felt that the direction of our team for both this season and beyond would benefit from a new voice,” GM Don Sweeney said.

The Bruins may have a new look to start next season, in addition to a new voice. Brad Marchand will be recovering from hip surgery to start the season. Charlie McAvoy is expected to miss six months due to shoulder surgery. And it’s unclear what impending free agent Patrice Bergeron plans to do. That is a good deal of uncertainty for a team that finished with 107 points this season.