When Michel Therrien was relieved of his duties on Valentine’s Day, the fanbase was largely overwhelmed with joy borne of relief. There was certainly a prevalent belief that Therrien had exhausted his coaching acumen, and action was required to prevent a mid-to-late-season tailspin similar to that which had occurred the year previous.
It also helped that his replacement, Claude Julien, brought more to the table than the departing Therrien on just about every level. After a false-start first foray into the NHL with the Canadiens, the Blind River, Ontario native had forged a name and a reputation with the Boston Bruins, replete with a Stanley Cup victory in 2011.