BOSTON "" General manager Peter Chiarelli and coach Dave Lewis left successful teams for a chance to turn the Boston Bruins into one.

After one season and many personnel changes, they have a long way to go with a club that missed the playoffs by a wide margin and lost its last six games.

The Bruins missed the playoffs for the second straight season, their 76 points falling a distant 16 short. And they haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1972.

"Having come from organizations where you're used to winning, that's been very difficult," Chiarelli said Monday, "but I also know quick fixes don't work and so I have to be patient. I have to balance the two things because I know our ownership demands a winner and I know the city demands a winner."

Chiarelli was assistant manager at Ottawa last season when it finished second in the NHL with 113 points. Lewis was an assistant coach on three of Detroit's Stanley Cup-winning teams.

At a news conference Monday with Lewis by his side, Chiarelli said when he became general manager, "I think we had a team that was going to contend for the final playoff spot."

The Bruins wasted any chance for that when they went 1-10-1 in their last 12 games and played shoddy defense, allowing 289 goals "" the second most in the league.

Lowering that is Chiarelli's top priority in the offseason.

"You can't win allowing the number of goals that we've allowed," he said.

Zdeno Chara was brought in to help keep that number down "" and for other reasons. An All-Star last season and a leader, the defenseman was named captain but didn't play up to expectations.

"He had so many things that he wanted to do that it affected his overall performance on the ice," Lewis said. "I think he's going to be a better player, he's going to be a better captain and he's going to be a better leader next year."

Boston also was short on offense with 217 goals, seventh fewest in the league.

Free agent acquisition Marc Savard was the only steady scorer, Patrice Bergeron struggled with injuries and confidence and top goal scorer Glen Murray was limited by a groin injury, playing only 59 games.

Chiarelli kept bringing in new players to try to improve the team and, in the short run, that may have hurt. Some players told him when he met with them Monday morning that the adjustments could be difficult.

Chiarelli expects some personnel changes before next season but not nearly as many.

"I'm satisfied with the direction we're going as far as the players getting to know each other, getting to the trust factor," he said. "There won't be any wide, sweeping changes."

That includes keeping Lewis. Chiarelli said several weeks ago that he would return for a second season.

The Bruins want more physical players and improved performances from backup goalies after starter Tim Thomas played 66 games this season.

Lewis wants to use what he learned this season to get the Bruins closer to his former team's accomplishments.

"I probably took a number of things for granted that I shouldn't, thinking that the players understand," he said, "because some of the things, where I came from, it's just sort of natural, which it really isn't natural. It's a learned process, so that's where I have to improve."

Chiarelli also learned some difficult lessons after taking over as GM on a full-time basis July 8.

"I expected it to be hard," he said. "It was the losing that was the hardest thing."