As the rumors of Claude Julien’s future continue, the Bruins are expressing their responsibility for failing to execute his system and collapsing for the second straight season.

On Saturday following their season ending 6-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, Patrice Bergeron was the first to echo that sentiment.

“It should be on us as his system, the game plan is there, and it’s about us executing, and we didn’t do that,” a frustrated Bergeron told reporters on Saturday just a few hours before their playoff fate was officially determined by the Flyers’ win over the Penguins. “So it should fall back on the players.”

With a chance to digest another late season collapse, Bergeron, who stated many times that Julien is the best coach that he’s ever had, reiterated that thought during Monday’s breakup day at TD Garden.

“I hope that he’s back for sure,” added the Bruins’ assistant captain. “That’s out of my hands and it’s tough for me to answer that question, but at the same time I hope that he’s back and I’ve said a lot of times before, and this time it’s on us as players. I guess that’s what happens sometimes in professional sports that coaches and management it goes the wrong way for them and for us, but I really believe that it should be on the players.”

From veterans like Bergeron, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask (who confirmed that he missed Saturday’s game with a stomach bug) to first year Bruins like Matt Beleskey and Jimmy Hayes, players came to Julien’s defense.

The Bruins’ roster came to Claude Julien’s defense during breakup day at TD Garden. (Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

“We win as a team and we lose as a team,” said Krejci, who will have hip surgery in the off-season. “We obviously didn’t show up in the last game [against Ottawa] and the result is that we’re going to watch [playoff] hockey for the next couple of months and the first hockey game we’re going to play is five months from now. So yeah, we didn’t live up to our expectations, and we’re here now.

“Whatever happens [to] coaches, their job is to coach us and give us the game plan, and our players are responsible for to go out there and respect the game plan.”

“We all should feel responsible and accountable for where we’re at — that’s obviously players, coaches and — that’s just the way it is,” added Chara. “Like I said, it’s never just one person’s fault. I think Claude is a great coach. He puts his system in place and he does whatever he can to make us ready and it really comes down to us. And if one individual is not willing to do whatever it takes to win then that’s one too many.”

For the second year in a row, Julien’s future in Boston will be decided by GM Don Sweeney and the rest of the front office. Some of the other Bruins in the locker room may be on the way out as well.

In a year that saw Julien set the record for coaching wins in franchise history — his ninth in Boston — the watch given by Bruins management for accomplishing that feat is symbolically ticking slowly to the end of his tenure.