In an e-mail, general manager Peter Chiarelli confirmed his statements made to ESPNBoston, including that he is not concerned about Seguin’s hip. Seguin has not been affected by the condition.

“I will not comment on speculation on future medical issues,’’ Chiarelli wrote.

Seguin is the Bruins’ leading scorer. In nine games, he has recorded three goals and six assists while averaging 16:49 of ice time. Seguin practiced yesterday on a line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.

Seguin has not missed any games during his brief NHL career because of the condition. He sat out one game last season because of an illness.

Tim Thomas and David Krejci have required hip procedures. Thomas underwent surgery following the 2009-10 season; Krejci had his operation after the 2008-09 season.

Line reunited

With his team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, coach Claude Julien looked to provide a spark in practice by reuniting Krejci, Milan Lucic, and Nathan Horton on the top line.

“What would you expect me to do?’’ said Julien, whose team will wrap up its home-and-home series with the Canadiens tonight at the Bell Centre, after losing, 2-1, Thursday night at the Garden. “It’s a simple answer. It’s a coach just trying to find solutions, it’s as simple as that.’’

Julien made the move in the hopes of getting the top line back in its playoff form from last season.

In the first three games of this season, however, the Krejci-Lucic-Horton line struggled, with Horton landing just one shot on goal in his first 43:50 of ice time, and Krejci missing some time with a core injury.

Julien, however, dispelled any notion that Krejci’s injury was related to the line’s lack of production.

“You’re talking to the wrong guy about excuses, because there are none,’’ Julien said. “We’re not going to sit here and pretend that we have reasons and excuses, because we don’t. I don’t want us to be that way. I want us to take responsibility for what’s happening and I want us to accept the criticism that’s rightfully coming our way. And when you admit and realize, that’s when you get better.’’

According to NHL.com, of the 17 defending Stanley Cup champions since 1994, the Bruins will be assured of having the worst record through 10 games, regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game. Before this season, only the 1994-95 Rangers and 2007-08 Ducks had sub-.500 records among defending Cup champions after 10 games, both going 4-5-1.

“If you want to believe people who feel sorry for you and say, we’ll, that’s a natural thing, that’s what it’s going to be,’’ Julien said. “I don’t think we want to accept that, but the challenge is still there.’’

Asked if he was hoping to seize upon the playoff chemistry of the Krejci-Lucic-Horton line, Julien replied, “You can look at it whichever way you want. Some of it is, ‘Hey, will bringing guys back together help?’ Who knows?

“If it doesn’t, I’m telling you right now, you’re going to see changes again.’’

Trade talk

Could a trade be one of those changes if things don’t begin to turn around?

While Chiarelli said during his teleconference Tuesday that “we’ve got roster space, we’ve got cap space,’’ to make a deal, “it’s hard, intuitively it’s hard to meddle and tinker with a Stanley Cup team.’’

Still, it didn’t preclude Chiarelli from exploring possibilities.

“It’s my job to monitor this stuff and address it,’’ he said. “I don’t want to react - we’ll see how it goes on a day-to-day basis. But at some point if I don’t like the way things are going, I have to do something.’’

Asked if he believed a trade was needed to jolt the team, Julien replied, “If you’re asking me for my opinion, I’m always going to support my general manager. We talk a lot. Whether it happens or doesn’t happen, those decisions are made as a group and certainly never second-guessed, because once a decision is made, we’re all on board.’’

Said Marchand, “We’re a family in here and we don’t want anyone to be moved around. Sometimes general managers and coaches feel like that’s the way to go. They bring guys in and spark the team. But we don’t want it to get to that point. If we can turn it around here, hopefully we won’t have to worry about that.’’

Similar result?

The Bruins were hoping tonight’s visit to the Bell Centre would have the same effect of their last trip to Montreal, in April. That’s when the Bruins evened their first-round series at 3-3 and jump-started their drive to the Stanley Cup. “I sincerely think it’s a different situation,’’ Julien said. “But at the same time I think what you saw [Thursday] night - and to me [it] was the worst-executed game from the second period on that we’ve played this year, so it wasn’t pretty to watch. I know the first two games here in the playoffs [against the Canadiens] were similar to that. We weren’t able to do much, but we went back there and we regrouped and, hopefully, it happens again.’’ . . . After engaging Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban in a fight in Thursday night’s game, Marchand doesn’t anticipate a rematch. “That stuff happens during the course of the game and I’m not going to hold grudges and I don’t think he’s going to [either],’’ Marchand said. “It happened, it’s over with, now we move on and concentrate on winning.’’ . . . Benoit Pouliot did not practice yesterday because of illness. Julien was not certain about Pouliot’s availability for tonight.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeFluto. Michael Vega can be reached at vega@globe.com.