It isn’t easy for a coach to deal with a distraction when he’s on the hot seat. That distraction can linger to a team as rumors and reports make their way through various media platforms.

It isn’t easy for a reporter to ask that question, either, especially in the heat of the moment after a difficult last minute 1-0 loss to the Blackhawks on Friday night at TD Garden.

“I’m not interested in shock journalism, so I’ll stay away with that question if you don’t mind,” Julien said in response to CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty.

Unfortunately for Julien, the speculation is real. At the same time, the 10th year Bruins bench boss knows that it’s out of his control.

Less than 24 hours later at Warrior Ice Arena, Julien struck a different tone. Given the circumstances, he could have easily deflected the question again. Instead, to his credit, he addressed the situation with a little more clarity than he did during his postgame press conference at the Will McDonagh Press Room.

“To be honest with you guys, my job is to coach a hockey club. Am I worried about my job? No I’m not because it’s not my job to worry about it,” Julien said after Saturday’s practice. “My job is to coach this team and do everything I can and if I become one of the reasons that we’re not doing well, then I think that management has to make that decision.”

Claude Julien was a little more in-depth in addressing the rumors around his job security after Saturday’s practice. (Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

As their embattled coach’s name goes through the daily news cycle of rumors, the Bruins locker room is in a spot where they need results. A three-game losing skid that included two embarrassing losses to the Islanders and Red Wings and Friday’s loss to the Blackhawks puts the Black and Gold in a tough spot in the Eastern Conference standings with 33 games left in the 2016-17 season. By the time their bye week comes around in mid-February, they could be the ones chasing teams as the Maple Leafs, Senators, Hurricanes and Flyers (if you want to include the wild card discussion) all have games in hand on the Black and Gold.

Another matchup with the Red Wings and two contests with the Penguins, including Sunday in Pittsburgh, are on the pre-All Star Break docket. Desperate for points, the Bruins are going to need to get them fast. With every loss, the scuttlebutt surrounding Julien’s job security is only going to intensify.

Instead of making excuses, the Bruins are making sure they have their coach’s back. It’s up to them to execute Julien’s gameplan whether it’s getting bodies in front of the net, grinding teams out or being more sound defensively like they were Friday night prior to Marian Hossa’s game-winner.

“I don’t think it should be a distraction,” Bergeron said about the Julien rumors. “I think right now we’re all confident in Claude and we all want to be here and play for him, and I think if it is the extra motivation that you need to win games then so be it. We’re all professionals and we’re here to win hockey games, and I’ve said it before – I’ve been with Claude for 10 years now and he’s the guy that I believe in and want to play for – and it’s not going to change my view on that.”

“We don’t pay attention [to the rumors]. Claude is our coach and we have confidence in him,” captain Zdeno Chara added about Julien. “He’s proven to be a coach that did a lot of good things with this organization. You know, like I said, we’ve got to come up with some wins and battle [through]. We’re all in this together.”

As long as Julien is still the coach, the Bruins will always go to battle with him.

Until Cam Neely, Don Sweeney and Bruins management say otherwise, Julien, with a mediocre roster, will try to make the most of what he has for a third straight season.

“I’m not quitting on this team. I’m not quitting on anybody, I’m not quitting on management,” said Julien.

“I’m ready to go through with hard times, and I said that at the end of last year – if it’s deemed my fault, then I shouldn’t be here. That’s all I can say; that’s not my decision to make. And if we’re going with what we say we’re going with, there’s going to be some growing pains along the way, so be it.”

The growing pains in January hope to be a distant memory come April.

“Did we put ourselves in position early in the season to maybe believe that all of a sudden we’re a playoff team? Absolutely. I still think we’re a playoff team,” Julien said about his current roster. “Whether we can do it or not, we’ll know more at the end of the year. But my job at the end of the year is to get us into the playoffs.”