a bitterly disappointing loss for a Bruins team that not only had aspirations of winning the Stanley Cup for a second straight season,Authentic Martin Brodeur Jersey, but also had a realistic chance of doing so.Such a sour end to the campaign could have pushed Chiarelli to do something drastic in an effort to improve his club during the offseason.Season Preview: Northeast DivisionQuestions facing Northeast teamsBy NHL.com StaffNHL.com presents six questions for each of the five teams in the Northeast division,Authentic Shea Weber Jersey, as the Boston Bruins look to claim the division for the third straight season. READ MORE › Sabres can see tweaks leading back to playoffs Habs hope changes trigger return to postseason Senators look to build off bounce-back season Nonis now GM, Leafs look to end playoff drought Horton's return, Ott's grit could shape NortheastMORE 2012-13 SEASON PREVIEW STORIES ›But he did no such thing.Instead, he showed his players he believed in them by sticking with the core group and re-signing the key free agents among them -- Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley, Shawn Thornton, Gregory Campbell and Johnny Boychuk. Then the GM showed even more confidence in the man leading that group, signing coach Claude Julien to a multiyear contract extension in July to avoid having him enter this season with the "lame duck" label."We feel that we've come a long way to keeping this critical mass together for this team because I believe it's a strong team and will continue to be a strong team," Chiarelli said at the news conference to announce Julien's contract. "One of the core components of this, of this critical mass, is sitting beside me in our coach,Authentic Mike Richards Jersey, Claude Julien, and we're happy to announce his extension today."So while the New York Rangers were busy acquiring Rick Nash from the Columbus Blue Jackets without losing vital components off their roster,Henrik Sedin Authentic Jersey, the Bruins were busy simply maintaining what they already had.Who can blame them?The Bruins are one of the most well-balanced teams in the NHL, leading the League in goal differential two seasons in a row and three of the past four.However, to suggest Chiarelli's summer consisted simply of routine housekeeping would be a huge understatement, seeing as a big reason for the Bruins' recent success threw him a huge curveball.When goaltender Tim Thomas decided he would take the upcoming season off to spend more time with his family, it left Chiarelli and the Bruins with his $5 million salary-cap hit and a sudden need to see if heir apparent Tuukka Rask was ready to take over a little earlier than planned."All along we've been working on what I call a succession plan, where we were going to pass the baton to Tuukka," Chiarelli told Ottawa radio station the Team 1200 earlier in August. "That's what I've been telling him since he's been 20. This probably accelerates it by a year, but it's his chance to show us he's a true No. 1. I've always told him we'd like to have him on the Bruins for his whole career, so this is a good opportunity for him."Chiarelli