The Language Debate: Should Habs Coach Speak French?

It certainly didn't take long following the appointment of Randy Cunneyworth as an interim replacement to fired Montreal Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin for the Quebec language debate to rear its ugly head.

For those that don't speak French, long-time RDS reporter Luc Gelinas tweeted that he is very disappointed in Geoff Molson who let Pierre Gauthier name the first uni-lingual English head coach of the Canadiens since Bob Berry in 1984.

Does the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens have to speak fluent French? Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion on this matter. As a bilingual anglophone born and raised in Montreal, I can see both sides of the coin. However, there seems to be a great misconception among many as to the reason why some fans feel it important that the coach be able to communicate in la langue de Moliere. I'll reserve my personal opinion for the time being to try to explain for the mostly-anglophone readers of this site this take on the issue.

The Montreal Canadiens as a Quebec Institution

If you've never seen the movie The Rocket, as a Habs fan, you are missing something. Like it or not, the Habs have always been about more than just hockey and Stanley Cups. To understand this, we need to begin with a look at Quebec prior to the 1960s.

Maurice Duplessis' reign as premier of Quebec is referred to by many as la Grande Noirceur (the Great Darkness). Duplessis, a staunch conservative, was marred in a number of corruption scandals, including complaints about too strong a relationship with the church, anti-union stances, and unfair treatment of certain minority groups. Duplessis focused on rural areas rather than cities, leaving French Quebec society under Duplessis rather disorganized and opening businesses to outside control. This resulted in very common outsider "English" ownership and/or management in the province (or at the very least, a popular perception of it being the case) with limited rights for the French-speaking "working class." Thus, there was great unrest amongst the French population, who felt they had few rights (particularly with Duplessis's union-beating activities) and were being kept down by English-speakers in many aspects of their lives.

Enter the Montreal Canadiens, a team composed largely of French-Canadian players, competing in a league run by anglophones and against anglophone teams. Enter Maurice "Rocket" Richard, the French-Canadian superstar of the team who, from his working class background, 'stuck it to the man', making English defenders and goaltenders look silly. No, it wasn't just hockey. The local 'habitants' could rally around this squad as a source of pride; French-speakers who had made it to the top of their profession as the greatest hockey team in the world.

Does this sound silly to you looking back through today's lenses? Perhaps. But try to put yourself in the time's shoes. You work all day for a poor salary, being told what to do by foreigners who don't speak your language. And in many cases, because of your language, you know you can't aspire to much better - the opportunities for advancement just aren't there for you. But then you turn on your television at the end of the day and see this young man with fiery eyes to whom you can relate showing up the opposition. This is where it began. It's not hard to see how the Montreal Canadiens inspired the French people of Quebec or why the relationship between the two is so intricate.

A controversial but fascinating book about the times was published in 1968, called Negres blanc d'Amerique (translation: "White Niggers of America"), by Pierre Vallieres, a leader of the highly radical FLQ movement. Extremist of course, but if you ever wanted a better insight as to how many saw the situation back then, try to find a copy (English translated editions exist as well). But from the title alone, you can see how to some, having a French-speaker coach the Canadiens is no less important than the election of a black President in the United State of America to African Americans.

The tie between Richard, the Habs, and the political and economic situation of the French speaking Quebecois grew to another level in 1955. As any Hab historian is well aware, The Rocket was suspended for the remainder of the 1954-55 season after striking a linesman during a violent on-ice affair. The suspension was handed down by NHL president Clarence Campbell, and was taken by the Quebec people as a clear instance of an English-speaker in a position of power batting down a French-speaker who had risen up to a high level. The length of the suspension was deemed unjust by Canadiens' faithful, leading to a riot that took place on March 17, 1955. To this day, the Richard Riot is looked at as one of the 'elements declencheur' (triggers) of the Quiet Revolution that would transform Quebec society over the coming decades into much of what it is today. Even though the Richard-less Canadiens would go on to lose the Stanley Cup Finals in a 7-game series against the Detroit Red Wings, the riot, clearly, was about much more than just hockey.

This is where much of it comes from, Habs fans. The Montreal Canadiens are an important symbol for French-speaking Quebecers, particularly those who were around in the 50s and 60s, or perhaps whose parents were and grew up with these values. As an outsider, one can't really criticize this view much more than one who hasn't been abused can criticize an abuse victim (here's looking at you, Pat Hickey). Is it an antiquated way of looking at things? Perhaps, but let's draw some parallels to today.

Would Michel Therrien, Alain Vigneault, or Claude Julien ever have gotten NHL head coaching jobs had they not gotten a start with the Canadiens? Perhaps, but it likely would have taken far longer, requiring them to prove themselves over and over again at lower levels to earn the trust of another organization. Quebec is a highly unique specimen in the greater context of North America and the National Hockey League. There are still many, particularly in a group run like an old boys' club as the collection of owners of NHL franchises are seen to be - not unlike the anglophone managers of the 50s and 60s - who wouldn't trust an unknown or unproven French Quebecer to come in and manage their team.

It is also true that the team is no longer composed primarily of francophone players, but the desire of the fan base to root for a local kid has far from disappeared. Look at the treatment of Guillaume Latendresse, or the thunderous applause that followed Louis Leblanc's first NHL goal. Even as the differences between French and English speakers in Quebec society have largely leveled off (Bill 101 aside), the deep-rooted feelings that lie dormant in the hearts of a significant number of Canadiens fans remain. If their team was to suddenly be managed by a non-French speaker, these emotions could very well return to the surface. This doesn't make them racist or necessarily separatist. In fact, for some, it is the complete opposite. It is a desire to see one of their own succeeding and being accepted into a culture full of people who are "different."

And this is why, in part, it is deemed important for the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens to speak French. And the general manager, for that matter. It should be a person to whom the locals can relate, and can look at as someone who made it in an English-dominated society. At the very least, it should be someone who can prove they've made the effort of learning enough French to show them the respect of addressing them in their local tongue. Fans who care about the coach's language skills want to win just as badly as those who don't, but because of this deep-rooted attachment, they want to be able to feel a part of it. I'm not AT ALL suggesting that ALL French-speaking fans feel this way, but it is evident that some do. Should the organization just apologize to these fans and explain that the team doesn't work that way anymore? Some would say yes, but for many reasons - political, marketing, and otherwise - these fans can't simply be ignored.

The Best Man for the Job

But, that's only one side of it. The other, more publicized perspective (particularly in English media of course) is that the Montreal Canadiens owe it to their fans to look beyond the language issue and hire simply the best man for the job. Above all else, the Montreal Canadiens are a sports organization and a business. Neither of these definitions of the team leave any room for language-based hiring or player selection policies (though, some might say that as a business, French-speaking staff and/or players would be more marketable to the Quebec population).

Winning should be the number one priority of any club in the National Hockey League. If the Canadiens implement a policy that restricts their ability to make decisions that increase their chances of winning, it would contradict this. Can a team win with a French-speaking head coach? Of course. Former Habs coach Claude Julien won the 2011 Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins, a team that has Quebecois Patrice Bergeron as an assistant captain. But ultimately, in such a competitive and balanced league as today, any handicap severely disadvantages a team and so the Montreal front office can't ignore any possibilities when searching to put the best team (on and off the ice) in place. The game and league have changed radically since the 50s and 60s, with the parity of post-lockout hockey making building a championship club as difficult as ever.

That's why the language of any one member of the organization should not truly matter. The French language will always be an important part of the team's history and traditions and must be respected in its daily operations. But an English-only head coach or general manager could be assisted through press conference by sitting side-by-side with a French-speaking associate, or even just having a translator to help with the media, not unlike a Russian player new to the league. Beyond this, the French media could and would continue to translate everything, just as they do now when interviewing the Carey Prices, Mike Cammalleris, and Brian Giontas who have yet to pick up much beyond "bonjour" and "merci."

As a fan of the sporting club and what it represents today, this is how I see it. I would be highly disappointed if the club is pressured into a language-based hire, as journalists like Mr. Gelinas want to encourage. I want the team to win, no matter who it is made up of. I thought that Habs fans in 2011 were near unanimous in this attitude, but it quickly became apparent on Twitter Saturday that my views may have been a little too anglo-centrist. It seems there are some who would be willing to sacrifice a better candidate for one that can speak French. I would be very curious to somehow take a census survey of all Habs fans to gauge their opinions on a wide variety of topics, including the language issue for the team's management. I wonder how far it goes; would these same individuals be willing to accept, say, a worse goaltender than Carey Price if he were a local boy? But until we have definitive answers as to the prevalence of these views, we have to understand and respect that there are different ways of looking at the Montreal Canadiens.

So what does that mean for this summer's coaching search? The ideal would be to find an experienced, top coaching candidate who is also fully bilingual. But at the end of the day, the club owes it to the majority of its stakeholders (which, fans aside, most importantly includes the players on the team who deserve the best coach) has to go with the top available coach without considering the languages on his resume. I'm not trying to convince those that argue otherwise that they're wrong, either, though. In hiring the best man, the team must be very careful to not isolate the French speakers of Quebec, particularly those outside of Montreal whose English may be minimal at best, and a plan should be orchestrated before the announcement of the hiring as to how to address it delicately with the media. It shouldn't be left to the new coach to answer a question about French lessons by saying he hadn't really thought that far yet, as Randy Cunneyworth did in his press conference alongside Pierre Gauthier. If the transition to an English-only coach is to happen, all initial communications must come with those wanting a French-speaker in charge at top of mind. One solution might be bringing in a head coach and associate coach for at least a season, not unlike the Edmonton Oilers did with Pat Quinn and Tom Renney. Hire, say, Randy Carlyle as head coach, while promoting Clement Jodoin from Hamilton to Montreal to work with him, splitting responsibilities between the two (but with Carlyle as the primary guy).

We don't yet know who will be available as of this summer, but of course some names are already floating out there should Randy Cunneyworth not earn an extended stay. I for one would be very against giving the job to Patrick Roy, who despite good results, has shown to be hot headed, self-centered, and in the middle of several off-ice controversies that would become big distractions in a market like this. He is not one to take direction or to take the time to learn from others. Some might say Roy could be a fiery coach like John Tortorella in New York, but with just 5 seasons behind the bench of a junior team as the sum of his total coaching experience, I really don't think he's ready to take over an NHL club.

Whoever does take over has a tall task ahead of him. Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens is one of the most prestigious sport jobs in the world but is accompanied by immense pressure. As Peter Parker told us all, "With great power comes great responsibility." Choose wisely, Mr. Molson.

Canadiens Fire Jacques Martin

The Montreal Canadiens have fired head coach Jacques Martin, as first reported by Dave Stubbs on Twitter.

Randy Cunneyworth, an assistant coach brought up to Montreal after head coaching the Hamilton Bulldogs last season, will take over as interim head coach until the end of the season. This is a wise move as there aren't many candidates currently available, and thus it will allow the team to perform an extensive search to find the best possible candidate to lead the team beyond this season. It is interesting, though, since Cunneyworth doesn't speak French and it has long been thought that language was a pre-requisite for the bench boss job.

Cunneyworth, 50, is a veteran of 866 NHL games as a player, split between the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Ottawa Senators. He was the head coach of the AHL's Rochester Americans between 2000-01 and 2007-08 before spending two seasons as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Anyone who has been following this site will know I'm not exactly disappointed or surprised by this news. It was a matter of time and a necessary change in philosophy for the players.

In a strange move of shuffling personnel, assistant GM Larry Carriere will step behind the bench as an assistant coach to fill the vacancy. Carriere was named Gauthier's assistant last summer, but has no experience in pro coaching. He does speak French, however, so he will be able to address the media on Cunneyworth's behalf. Let's hope that's not an indication that Martin will take over as assistant GM, as he did not have a great record managing personnel with the Florida Panthers. Though there have been signs this season of disagreement between Pierre Gauthier and Martin, meaning having them work together seems like an unlikely scenario.

Here is a summary of some of the major things said at today's press conference from Gauthier and Cunneyworth:

Pierre Gauthier - It was a very difficult decision. I have a good and long-standing relationship with Mr. Martin, but it's something we've been looking at for a few weeks.

- Even when we were picking up points, we'd look at the performance at the end of the game and see we didn't play well. The results seemed predictable, especially with our third periods. Mr. Martin was doing a great job, but sometimes it's best for the organization to bring in new approaches and ideas in order to improve.

- For the moment, Mr. Cunneyworth can't speak French, but that can change. Languages can be learned. We did an external coaching search. There is a need to win now. But we felt we had a good team internally to get it done.

- Larry Carriere is an experienced hockey person who has a relationship with Mr. Cunneyworth going back to the Buffalo Sabres organization. He brings a fresh perspective to the bench.

- Mr. Cunneyworth is interim right now because during the season, we evaluate mainly short-term needs. The rest will be re-evaluated in the off-season.

- I appreciate Mr. Molson's support in this decision. There is never a right or wrong time. As hard and dramatic as today is, it's a game day, and we get right back to business.

- Like I told the players, we ALL (including me) have responsibility for where we are right now. It's a team game. Individual poor performances can be linked to the overall group.

Randy Cunneyworth - I'm proud to be offered this job. I know I'll have plenty of help from a great staff. It's an honour to be the coach of this team.

- My message will be that players have to get back to doing the things they're capable of. We need to get more out of individual players. It has a lot to do about execution. All players have to be on board as a team instead of trying to do things on their own. In terms of communication, my role is to make players understand more of what's expected from them. We need to get players to reach their potential and these expectations.

- I hope my coaching style is similar to the way I played. It's important our team competes in all areas and that everyone is involved.

- One of our biggest assets is our speed. We're not the biggest team, but we move the puck well. I ask players to play to that.

- Players jobs are to go out and take care of their own responsibilities. But they're also part of a team, and as such, they must be accountable.

- I haven't thought through taking lessons or anything yet, but I will do my best to keep improving my French. I'm Canadian, so I took some in school. Being exposed to conversations in all of our meetings, you can't help but learn some.

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So, why was Jacques Martin fired? He's not entirely incompetent at the job, but he was not a good fit for this team. Martin is a veteran's coach, and one with an old school defensive style. It's not the right fit for a young, skilled, puck-moving team like the Canadiens.

I've documented many of his faults this season in a number of articles:

- "But... I Can Change" (December 16)

- "Remember, remember the third of December" (December 2)

- "Are Jacques Martin's Days Numbered?" (December 1)

- "Your Canadiens: Where Do We Go From Here?" (October 23)

- "Trying to Understand Jacques Martin's Lines" (October 5)

But perhaps his biggest foul this season has been the way he has handled the press at times. No coach in the league has been quicker to jump to blame his players for losses, calling them out by name on a regular basis. And yet it was always the team's rookies and youngest players who were singled out, as opposed to the struggling veterans being paid to lead this team but failing to do so.

Habs fans can only hope that some players were waiting on a move like this. That a change in coach will spark the team more than, say, Kirk Muller has in Carolina. Time will tell. But either way, if you ask me, this is a good day for the future of the club.

Player reactions, courtesy of Hockey Inside/Out:

"But... I Can Change!"

You've heard the line in response to breaking up with a mate. Or you saw it in a movie. Or maybe you've used it yourself. "I can change," is often a last resort when one knows that someone is unhappy with them. It doesn't really have much meaning. It's a desperate plea that says I will tell you everything you want to hear right now, but within a matter of days, everything will go back to just the way it was. Nothing will have actually changed.

Throughout the season, there have been repeated calls by Habs' fans for the heads of both head coach Jacques Martin and general manager Pierre Gauthier. Gauthier seemed to fire a warning shot at Martin when he canned his assistant coach and close personal friend Perry Pearn early in the season. This was unorthodox, as it is rare an assistant coach is singled out and fired mid-season while the bench boss remains in place. But Gauthier knew something had to happen or he and Martin would be the ones on the outs. Of course, this simple sacrificial lamb didn't satisfy the discontent masses.

"Moving forward, we will start to think outside the box," said Gauthier. I can change.

But what exactly has changed since October 26th? Sure, the team has strung together a few more wins. But with their capped out payroll, certainly they have sufficient talent in place - even with injuries - to win some hockey games. Erik Cole has emerged and led the team's still floundering powerplay. Not that Jacques Martin will ever own up to it being his mistake for keeping Cole off the PP to start the season, nor will he apologize publicly to reporter Jessica Rusnak for telling her to "do her research," when she asked about giving Cole time with the man advantage. But hey, things weren't working out. He, too, can change.

But can he really? Like a bad boyfriend, he seems to quickly slip back into his all too familiar habits. His communication with players seems as sparse as ever, preferring to quietly scribble in his notebook. He continues to be quick to throw the young guys under the bus, whether publicly in press conference or in terms of their ice time. He seems to have no tolerance for any sort of physical brand of hockey. Just when Alexei Emelin was coming out of his shell and becoming a force on the ice, a trade shifts him to his unfamiliar right side on defense, and one bad game sees him sitting in the press box. Back in the line-up last night due only to Raphael Diaz's illness, despite playing a very solid game, a -2 rating that was little fault of his own sees Martin limit him to 12:30 of ice time. And then there's Louis Leblanc, who on 2 occasions was expected to play on the third line with Lars Eller and Mathieu Darche/Travis Moen, but when the game's starting line-up was announced, it was Eller with Darche/Moen and Andrei Kostitsyn. I have no explanation for that. Kostitsyn was playing on a line with Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri, yet for opening puckdrop, he skates in Leblanc's place on the "third" unit.

What of last night for Leblanc, where he tied the game in the second period by scoring his first NHL goal, even after being dropped to center the fourth line? One would think his sound two-way play and the fact that he had potted one could earn him some more looks. Not the case, as he was benched for almost the whole third period, playing only 4:21 total on the night. The only time he and the fourth line got a shift? When the Habs were putting pressure on the Flyers to try to come back and tie the game up again, with about 10 minutes to play, after the club had earned an offensive zone face-off. Really Jacques? You send your fourth line out for that? It's almost like you were blatantly just trying to prove a point. Setting young guys up for failure, once again.

And what of Mr. Gauthier? The trading of Jaroslav Spacek for Tomas Kaberle may be the final nail in his coffin. This is not unexpected, as the Canadiens and their pro scouting department have a history of ignoring a player's recent performances, hoping they will somehow revert to their prime selves after being dealt to Montreal (we can go back historically for examples since the lockout, like Sergei Samsonov, Georges Laraque, Scott Gomez, and Janne Niinimaa). Kaberle the player is not the problem, of course, and I won't get into how Spacek is playing well on the Hurricanes' PP. But Gauthier has further handicapped a team that already had little flexibility because of numerous big contracts to underperforming supposed stars.

Can he change? Will he find a creative way to rid the team of the Scott Gomez burden, for example? Time will tell. But as of today, the only way I see real change coming about is if Geoff Molson steps forward, calls a spade a spade, and relieves the Gauthier-Martin duo of their responsibilities despite their plea for another chance. That, my friends, is what can reignite the spark in the highly abusive relationship between the Montreal Canadiens and their faithful followers.

Remember, remember the third of December

The question on the minds of Habs fans around the planet for weeks now has been just what/when will be the tipping point for Pierre Gauthier, Geoff Molson, or anyone else in the Habs' brass to signify that changes are needed... and fast.

The start of the season has been a difficult one for your Montreal Canadiens. Sure, injuries have been an issue, but most of the injuries the team has faced have been ones that should have been foreseeable this summer. The young defense put on the ice is improving, but still has major structural issues.

The bigger problem, though, has been the play of some of the forwards the team counts on to lead the way offensively. This starts right at the top with team captain Brian Gionta. The effort seems to be there, as it always has been with Gio. So then what's the problem? Is it an undisclosed injury? Off-ice issues? Just a prolonged slump? It isn't a matter of simply not scoring, but his overall game on the ice is simply not at the level we should expect of the 32-year old. When you're 5'7", unfortunately, no matter how established you are, you don't get the luxury of coasting through patches like this. Gionta has been a non-factor for quite some time, even though he's on pace for a similar point total to last season.

Speaking of producing but not being effective, we can next talk about #1 center Tomas Plekanec. It seem odd for me to lump the team's leading scorer into this "underperforming" category, but at $5M per season, Plekanec is looked at to be an offensive catalyst. He has been his usual positionally-sound self on the penalty kill, and has managed 21 points in 26 games, but he is unable to raise the game of his linemates, and has been far less noticeable than the likes of David Desharnais or Lars Eller lately, who have helped to create sustained pressure in the offensive zone and shift a game's momentum. Perhaps part of the blame could be placed on Jacques Martin for moving Pleks to the point on the powerplay, where he has looked tentative and probe to mistakes despite producing a couple of goals.

The final member of this group is Mike Cammalleri. He had a solid game last night after being shifted to the David Desharnais / Erik Cole line, but he has been very ineffective in most games. An injury may be at play here, but if it isn't, his total unwillingness to engage physically or to make necessary sacrifices to make plays has been unacceptable. In his final season in Calgary, Cammalleri scored 39 goals. His first year with the Habs saw him net 26 in 65 games, then last season 19 in 67 games. Prorating his goal total thus far this year would give him just under 19 in 66 games. Unacceptable for a player being paid $6M per year for his goal scoring talents.

You'll notice I left Scott Gomez off the list. I don't think it would have been right to expect much from him this summer based on last season's performance. It was more a case of hoping to be pleasantly surprised, which, even injuries aside, we haven't been.

If these are some of the problems, then what are the solutions that could come on what just might be D-Day tomorrow should the Habs lose to the Los Angeles Kings. I wrote yesterday about my desire to have Jacques Martin replaced, and quite possibly Pierre Gauthier along with him. Randy Carlyle becomes likely the most interesting name as a potential Martin replacement, with the major problem being his lack of French. I'd be a fan of bringing Carlyle in as head coach with a French associate coach to split duties (kind of like what the Edmonton Oilers did with Pat Quinn and Tom Renney), but not sure how realistic that is in the eyes of management, especially considering they are still paying Guy Carbonneau and would have to pay Martin off to end his deal.

But we don't know for certain how Geoff Molson feels. He may have full confidence in Gauthier's (and yes, even Martin's) ability to run this ship, and thus may give him plenty of rope to try to save the season and effectively his job.

That, then, could mean a trade. For those who don't read Twitter rumours, controversial Twitter figure Incarcerated Bob put out a Tweet last night along the same lines of rumours we've seen brewing for a few weeks. Bob had the Calgary Flames approaching captain Jarome Iginla about waiving his no trade clause on a framework deal that would send him to Montreal. Bob mentioned the names of Max Pacioretty, Yannick Weber, and the Canadiens' first round pick (plus a necessary salary dump) as possible pieces going to Calgary, with Iginla and more coming back in return. He suggested Iginla would likely require a few days to mull the idea over, though he was still dressed for the Flames' game last night. If you don't know iBob, he isn't quite Eklund. He isn't batting 1.000 (had Scott Gomez to the New York Islanders as a pretty sure thing this summer), but he has managed to break a number of stories correctly before any other mainstream media. The timing of the rumour is also interesting. The Anaheim Ducks went public yesterday, stating that with their coaching change, Bobby Ryan was taken off the trade market. It would be logical, then, that the Habs were in on Ryan, and with him no longer available, moved on to their next target. It is also interesting that, at the end of regulation time last night, Iginla had played only 15:42, far less than his second lowest total this season.

But, it's just a flimsy rumour at best right now. And of course, Habs fans would lynch Gauthier if he even considered dealing a young powerforward like Max Pacioretty. Iginla is a great player, and you have to give to get, but the Canadiens don't seem to be just one Iginla away from a Stanley Cup with the way they're playing right now. I would go as far as to say I wouldn't give up Pacioretty straight up for Iginla. The talk could become more interesting if Calgary's first round pick was coming back to Montreal, as that represents a top 5 potential lottery selection that could give the Canadiens the kind of superstar they haven't had since the days of Patrick Roy.

Why is tomorrow likely D-Day for the current team? Well it's hard to make changes in the middle of a road trip, and the Canadiens come back home following their afternoon'er in Los Angeles. That gives plenty of time that very day to announce anything that has already been set into motion, and then two days off to work any changes into the line-up. Plus, few teams not in the playoffs as of December 1st in a given season are able to rally to make it there, even with so many games left to be played. This is the nature of the parity in the league. And that's why we should expect changes. Changes bigger than bringing in Petteri Nokelainen or firing Perry Pearn.

Thus all signs point to December 3rd as a big day for the team and its fans where those in charge of the mess that has been this early season are held accountable for their actions. Remember, remember the third of December, as it may be a day that shapes the club's fate for the foreseeable future.

Are Jacques Martin's Days Numbered?

In what has been a bumpy ride of an early season for Habs fans, it has been a turbulent week league-wide for NHL head coaches. It started with Bruce Boudreau being let go by the Washington Capitals, largely due to a possible rift between him and star forward Alexander Ovechkin. Before the ink was dry on Dale Hunter's contract as the new Caps bench boss, the Carolina Hurricanes fired Paul Maurice to replace him with former Canadiens' assistant coach Kirk Muller.

But if that wasn't enough, shortly after the Anaheim Ducks handed a big loss to your Montreal Canadiens, their disappointing start cost head coach Randy Carlyle his job, returning Bruce Boudreau to bench boss of a National Hockey League club after only a couple of days.

Yet, despite repeated fan calls for Jacques Martin's head, he remains in charge of our team. Let's take a look at the record of these coaches this season:

Bruce Boudreau (Washington Capitals) - 12-9-1 in 22 GP (25 Pts)
Jacques Martin (Montreal Canadiens) - 10-11-4 in 25 GP (24 Pts)

Paul Maurice (Carolina Hurricanes) - 8-13-4 in 25 GP (20 Pts)

Randy Carlyle (Anaheim Ducks) - 7-13-4 in 24 GP (18 Pts)

But of course, a coaching decision shouldn't be made based on just 25 games. So how about these guys' records over their current tenure with their respective clubs prior to this year?

Bruce Boudreau (Washington Capitals) - 189-79-39 in 307 GP for a .705 win % (+ 2 playoff rounds won)
Randy Carlyle (Anaheim Ducks) - 266-168-57 in 492 GP for a .611 win % (+ 7 playoff rounds won, incl a Stanley Cup)
Jacques Martin (Montreal Canadiens) - 83-63-18 in 164 GP for a .568 win % (+2 playoff rounds won)

Paul Maurice (Carolina Hurricanes) - 108-87-26 in 221 GP for a .554 win % (+ 2 playoff rounds won)

Certainly, neither this season nor during their tenure do Jacques Martin's statistics jump out as significantly better than those of his colleagues. Now, I hear what you're saying. Montreal doesn't have the stacked roster that Boudreau gets to work with in Washington. The Canadiens don't have a Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, or Eric Staal leading their forces. That's fine and dandy. But drawing a parallel to the movie Moneyball, a coach without those assets must make the best of the position they are in. And THIS is where Jacques Martin has failed.

The Habs are not a "disadvantaged" team. They have the luxury have spending pretty well right up to the cap every year, and whether you like Pierre Gauthier's moves or not (disclaimer: I'm on the NOT side), he has brought in established talent that has been successful in other markets by spending all that he can.

But the Canadiens also haven't had the luxury of a top draft pick in years. Could they have done better than the guys they chose? Sure. Everyone will be quick to point out David Fischer over Claude Giroux, amongst other goof-ups. But when you're drafting outside the top 8 or 10, the entry draft is somewhat of a crapshoot where some gambles pay off and others do not.

The point here is that Martin has been given plenty of tools to ice a winning roster. He's had some fine young talent (P.K. Subban, Max Pacioretty, Carey Price, etc.) and a solid veteran leadership core. Through line-juggling, favoritism, and poor communication with is players, however, he has seen repeated criticisms for unexplained decisions and a lack of understanding between he and his skaters. Martin is an emotionless old hockey mind who doesn't seem to like to adapt his strategies and thought processes. He has a good understanding of the sport, and likes to rationally stick to his guns. This has translated to over-playing veterans (and frequently the same "safe," "responsible" types) and a mistrust towards new players, whether they be rookies, or has recently seen with Erik Cole, simply players new to the organization. It is downright strange that Martin never addresses players after calling a timeout. Fortunately, he had Kirk Muller and now, in the post-Perry Pearn days, Randy Cunneyworth, to do it for him.

But the head-scratching personnel moves (the benching, the combinations, the d-men at forward, etc.) have gotten to be too much. On paper, there is no doubt that with a slightly healthier defense, your Montreal Canadiens should be a playoff team. If Martin can't weather the storm, and/or the return of Andrei Markov doesn't provide the anticipated kick to the team's rear end, he and Mr. Gauthier should both start cleaning out their desks. Yes, Geoff Molson has remained relatively quiet on the issues the team is facing, but if a near capped out team can't earn him the significant revenues that come along with a post-season run this year, I have no doubt he will move to action. And maybe - just maybe - the Canadiens will finally add a star from this year's draft along the way. Brighter days are ahead, Habs fans, as the Gauthier-Martin era is undoubtedly coming to a close. Let's just hope there is already a security block in place preventing Gauthier from making any bold moves of dealing youth for short-term fixes to try to save his job.

Now We're Cooking: Sweet Wins for Habs, Bulldogs

Where it began,

Was with the firing of Perry,

And now we hope it's growing strong...

Was in the Fall,

The whole team was strugglin'

Who'da believed they'd come on strong?!

Hold up Habs fans, don't go planning any parades just yet (I mean, after all, we're not Leafs fans), but maybe - just maybe - we have something here. That 'something' is a big fat M word called momentum, with a side dish of confidence.

At 3-5-2, they're still in a bit of a hole, but the climb back up the ladder of respectability needs to begin somewhere. And back-to-back wins over the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins is as good a place as any.

Let's step back a moment, however. I posted earlier this week my discontent with the management team of Pierre Gauthier and Jacques Martin. I'm not a fairweather fan who is suddenly placated just because the club posted consecutive victories. I still feel the pair should be replaced in the near future for the very same reasons. The defense Pierre Gauthier assembled is largely soft, small, and inexperienced. There is a need for a tough, veteran, shutdown guy, and the only player who could eventually fill this role currently on the roster - Alexei Emelin - is being sat by Martin.

On the Emelin issue, after Tweeting my displeasure with his being scratched in favour of Raphael Diaz for a game against the Big Bad Bruins, I will admit that despite an overall shaky game on his part, Diaz made an incredible defensive slide to takeaway a goal after Carey Price was caught out of position with the game tied at 1. It wasn't a play anyone could make, and Martin's choice of Diaz over Emelin may thus have contributed to the team's win.

The downside to this is a legitimate concern that Emelin will never get a chance to develop in Montreal. His contract will allow him to bolt back over to Russia if the Habs try to send him down to Hamilton, but if he's kept in Montreal and sat for most of the season, he's likely headed home at year's end anyway. With a log-jam of players the organization feels to be ahead of him, it will be tough for him to find ice time, and thus Gauthier may be forced to use him as a transaction deal sweetener to at least get something for the asset he finally convinced to cross the ocean. This would be unfortunate as - like I mentioned - Emelin's skillset is not a common one within the organization.

But let's stick with the positives for now. Also deserving of some credit is Randy Ladouceur's management of his defense corps in the 2 games since taking over from Perry Pearn. With the team playing a third game in four nights (and second in 2 cities in 2 nights), Ladouceur and Martin managed to cycle d-men such that only one (Josh Gorges, who had a great night) topped the 20 minute mark. This is a rarity in the NHL, but allowed the team to stay fresh throughout the night which is critical considering the aforementioned personnel concerns on the back end. Diaz, while showing some positives, is clearly not ready for big minutes but has been seen as a "Martin favoured child" by many, joining the ranks of Mathieu Darche and David Desharnais. With Pearn in charge of the D, he played the 4th most minutes amongst Montreal blueliners Monday night. Under Ladouceur, he has gotten the least playing time of the group of 6 in consecutive outings. The team has also gone two games without a Too Many Men on the Ice penalty!

But this isn't just about Pearn, Ladouceur, Martin, and the defense. I talked about Erik Cole's improved play as a reason for hope, and for a third straight game he was amongst the team's top forwards. Cole totaled 2 goals and 1 assist while firing 18 shots on net over the week's 3 games, despite playing an average of only just over 14 minutes a night. Between the offense and some physicality, he is looking more and more like the player the Habs were excited to sign this summer.

Carey Price is playing like Carey Price needs to and can. Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta are showing signs of life. The fourth line, led by strong face-off work on the part of Petteri Nokelainen, behaves like a proper fourth line, able to cycle pucks and throw hits. And though I haven't been the biggest fan of David Desharnais's play, he is getting his touches in and picking up points (now at 6 in 10 games). I mentioned that the forward group should perform far better than they had been, hence not being concerned by early season goal-scoring troubles, and it looks like they may now be starting to click.

This is good news for Habs fans, of course, but it is less good news for Scott Gomez. Once he returns from his injury (and he has resumed skating already), Martin's next big test will be where to slot him into the line-up. Plekanec and Lars Eller are playing far better than he was, and Desharnais has been far more productive. Nokelainen plays the fourth line face-off specialist role well, so it sounds like someone is going to have to move to wing. At this point, Gomez should be the odds-on favourite to be forced to make that transition, and if he does, it may actually work out for the best. It will take some defensive responsibilities off his shoulders, and he does have some experience there, having spent considerable time on left wing during his early days in New Jersey.

So Habs fans, smile and relax a little. Stay on your #FireGauthier and #FireMartin campaigns if you will, and you have my support. But in the meanwhile, the game is being played on the ice, and the strong leadership core at the heart of this team has decided that it's time to step up to the plate and play some sound hockey. No one knows how far they'll be able to take it, but reinforcements are around the corner; "The General" Andrei Markov gets back to Montreal from his rehab stint in Florida today.

---------------------------------------------------------------

If the action in Montreal doesn't satisfy you, then be happy there is more good news on its way from Hamilton. The Canadiens' first round pick in 2009, Louis Leblanc, returned from injury to make his professional hockey debut with the Hamilton Bulldogs last night, and boy was he impressive. Many questioned his offensive upside, seeing him more as a responsible, determined, and energetic two-way third-line type. The 'Dogs eased him in for his debut, allowing him to play that very role by lining up on Andreas Engqvist's wing, opposite Andrew Conboy.

It certainly didn't take long for Leblanc to make an impact, picking up an assist on an Engqvist powerplay goal just 4:18 into the duel with the Rochester Americans. He would add another assist on a second period Conboy goal, before saving his coup de grace for overtime, scoring the game winner to finish his first game with three points and earning first star honours for his efforts. Leblanc also led all of his teammates with 5 shots in the 3-2 win and was a +2.

Let's not begin clamouring for a call-up just yet (keep in mind Engqvist also had 3 points on this night and we know how he has looked in Montreal), but it is a highly encouraging start for a highly anticipated prospect.

Check out highlights from the game here:

http://www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/video/index?id=539&autostart=true

Your Canadiens: Where Do We Go From Here?

With a dismal 1-4-2 record to start the season, the Montreal Canadiens already find themselves falling way behind their Eastern Conference rivals for playoff positioning. In fact, following Saturday night's loss and a Winnipeg Jets win, they are dead last in the East. No, the Stanley Cup isn't awarded in October, but the fact is there is a great deal of parity amongst teams. Every point along the way is critical, even at this early juncture. Just ask last year's New Jersey Devils who, despite a phenomenal midseason charge, finished 12 whole points out of the 8th playoff spot.

No, it's not time to panic. There are still many games remaining for the team to make the deficit up. But is it time for Pierre Gauthier and/or Geoff Molson to act and shake things up? Sure seems like it. Let's dig a little deeper.

Looking at the team's issues, it's easy to pinpoint the defensive zone play as a big weakness. There are fundamental issues with the club's group of defenders which can be pinned back on Gauthier. One way or another, the GM erred in his personnel decisions this off-season. Gauthier came out and stated that he knew at the time of signing Andrei Markov that he wouldn't be ready to start the season. Let's assume this to be true, and also give him the benefit of the doubt that signing a guy like Chris Campoli was always in the plans even before training camp opened (depending on the play of the rookies).

This means the intended season opening defense was:

Hal Gill - P.K. Subban

Chris Campoli - Josh Gorges

Jaroslav Spacek - Raphael Diaz / Alexei Emelin / Yannick Weber

Even before factoring in other injuries to Chris Campoli and Jaroslav Spacek, on paper, this is easily the worst defense the Canadiens have had in years.

If Gauthier knew Markov would miss time, he did little to ensure his group could carry the load in the interim. The group as a whole is flawed; a lack of size, physicality, passing. Inexperienced, certainly, with two rookies and two second year players in the group of 8. Love Hal Gill for what he brings to the locker room, the penalty kill, and in the playoffs, but at age 36, he shouldn't be penciled on to any team's "top pairing." Asking sophomore P.K. Subban to be a #1 quality player is a lot of pressure to put on the guy with no legitimate back-up plan (fact is, the Canadiens have NO #1 or #2 d-man right now). Josh Gorges is a fine #4-5 guy, but it was rather uncertain how his newly pieced together knees would hold up. Spacek looked poised to become the team's #7 at time's last year, and for the team to improve as a whole, should have continued sliding down the depth chart.

And all of that is before looking at the rookies. That portion of the D was supposed to be the known quantities. Even though they're both 25, Alexei Emelin and Raphael Diaz have often looked like the rookies they are, balancing out some solid play with lapses and turnovers in their own end. The hope, no doubt, is that they continue their adaptation process over the season and pick up their game by March, but who is there to cover for them in the short-term? Certainly not Yannick Weber.

Gone are safety nets Roman Hamrlik and James Wisniewski. Gone is the size of Ryan O'Byrne. Given his contract, keeping Wizz was not an option, but dropping Gill for Hammer (yes, even on a 2-year deal) would have taken hard minutes away from green newcomers. (and no, moving Spacek's 35+ contract to keep both was not a possibility) Sure, the defense needed to get younger, but a year where the team has NO legitimate top pairing blueliners is certainly not the time to break in 4 players who each have less than 100 games of NHL experience. Definitely not when you're trying to get your team over the hump to "win now."

Simply put, there are many holes on the back end, and even more question marks. If Markov is healthy and Emelin and Diaz hit their stride, it may look alright come April. The question is how far out of the 8th playoff spot will the Canadiens be by then?

And that is if we assume Gauthier is telling the truth when he says he knew Markov wasn't going to be ready. If he didn't, then that's partly on the entire Habs' brass for not doing sufficient due diligence, and/or pinning too much money, too many years, and too much hope on a complete unknown. In either case, this is certainly enough for his job to be on the line. The plan on defense is, well, defenseless.

But the problem is deeper than this. If fixing the defense would guarantee sending this team on a winning track, we could list out a number of potential candidates and Gauthier could go after whichever seems most attainable. The problem, in fact, is that there is more than just one problem - it's not just the defense that requires attention. So for a trade to be a big part of a solution, it would have to be something significant or radical.

The best partner, then, is a fellow struggling team like perhaps the Columbus Blue Jackets, Winnipeg Jets, or Calgary Flames, but Gauthier (and Bob Gainey before him) has handicapped himself due to poor asset management. Going back a few years (when Gauthier was in charge of pro scouting, which means even if Gainey was GM, any trades for NHL talent were partly his responsibility), we can look at moves like rentals (and UFA signings) that led nowhere, Mike Ribeiro for Janne Niinimaa, Mikhail Grabovski for, essentially Robert Lang and Greg Pateryn (not bad value, but hurting the team now), Matt D'Agostini for Aaron Palushaj, Guillaume Latendresse for Benoit Pouliot, Sergei Kostitsyn and Maxim Lapierre each for basically nothing, letting the entire 2008-09 team that was pretty clearly going nowhere walk out the door with zero compensation, and certainly, the still-hurting-today Scott Gomez trade (the team would look better today with Ryan McDonagh in the line-up than having Gomez). We won't blame draft miscues on the GMs, because this goes back to scouting as well, but the team's record has been well below average in the first round, the best time for picking up impact players.

Gauthier (and Gainey) opted to address areas of concern with patches (no offense intended to Max Pacioretty). Have a need? Sign one guy or trade for a player, and voila. This has short-term benefits at best. How do you address a fundamental need successfully? You re-design your team to be stronger in that area. The team doesn't need one enforcer; they need to increase toughness throughout the line-up! Boston has had no qualms about shuffling d-men on and off the team, or swapping up their top 9 forwards. Philadelphia dug deep to address their goaltending situation. To get over the hump, L.A. gave up a top prospect and was active on the UFA and trade market to stack their top 6 offensively. A team needs to be bold to improve when it has been stalling for some time. And if that requires too many moves, instead of transacting to fill out the bottom part of your roster, you try to bring in higher end players and have your existing guys filter down through the depth chart to areas of need. Don't go out and get a new #6 d-man to plug an injury hole; make a bigger move for a top 4 guy and let the player you've been forcing into top 4 minutes get back to his normal bottom pair role.

Let's look at coaching next. The fan uproar to have Jacques Martin fired continues to get louder and louder with each passing day. And anyone laying some blame on the coach is not wrong. A defensive shell, punish mistakes rather than reward good play, old guard system like Martin runs is not a good fit for this group of smaller, softer, skilled players.

The Habs led the league in Too Many Men on the Ice bench minors last season, and took 2 of them in the loss to the Leafs. This call can be directly link to poor communication between the coaching staff and the players, something for which Martin has long been criticized. The lack of good lines of communication was very noticeable during the loss to the Pittsburgh Penugins on Thursday when, after the Penguins called a timeout on an icing while ahead 3-0 with about 10 minutes to go, Martin and his staff chose not to say a word to their troops.

Still sticking with just the most recent examples, Lars Eller - likely the brightest spot for the team thus far this season with his skill play - was quoted following Saturday's game as saying he wasn't even aware that Toronto had changed goaltenders following the first period. One would think this is something a coaching staff should be responsible for informing thier players of. And then of course there's the baffling personnel decisions. He plays favourites with guys like Mathieu Darche and David Desharnais, and insists on slotting players in places they don't belong (Yannick Weber at forward, Tomas Plekanec on the powerplay point, and Travis Moen on pure scoring lines).

And then there was the public blow-up after the last loss. Many have surmised based on some comments in the press that there are already fractures in the relationship between Martin and Erik Cole. The coach went out of his way to publicly state that Cole "wasn't a saviour," and has refused to give him regular powerplay time. Following the Leafs game, in responding to TSN 990 radio reporter Jess Rusnak's question on using Darche on the PP over Cole, Martin said that it was his prerogative to play his players and that based on their powerplay output last season, she should do her research. Well, Mr. Martin, certainly Cole is more of a 5-on-5 guy than a powerplay specialist, but he still had 3 powerplay goals last year and 43 over his career. With admittedly far far fewer opportunities, Darche's 2 last season gives him a grand total of.... 3... over his 196 NHL games.

No one would blame any general manager league wide for firing their coach based on this pool of evidence. The team has looked unready and unprepared on numerous occasions, the powerplay is a mess, and they seem easily deflated when things start to go wrong. But if Martin and his staff are to be replaced, who is out there to be hired to step in?

The answer is not Patrick Roy. There is a cohesive leadership core in place in Montreal, and Roy is an "all about me" type leader. He is inexperienced and far too emotional for the role.

The answer is also not Kirk Muller. Despite the deserved love he got as an assistant coach, there is a reason he wasn't offered a head coaching job at the NHL level for this season. He just isn't ready. He's a great guy to have to support a head coach in managing the coach:player relationship, but he is too much of a relationship guy and not enough of a direction / authoritative type to take on the role before more seasoning at the AHL level.

The problem then becomes a lack of available candidates at this point. Marc Crawford and Michel Therrien are hardly appealing, and the Canadiens are likely to stick to their "head coach must speak French" rule (the logic being that the coach needs to be able to conduct press conference in both languages, like it or not). Would putting the pair of Randy Ladouceur and Randy Cunneyworth in charge on an interim basis until the summer be better than retaining Martin? At this point, it doesn't seem like it could be much worse.

Beyond the GM, coach, and defense, we could get into the forwards as well, many of whom have been chronically underperforming. But it seems hard to really place much blame there given that, on paper anyway, the group under contract should be good enough to compete with most teams around the league. For whatever reason, the environment, mix/chemistry, and/or style of play is hurting their output. The team goes through periods where it looks like they'll never score another goal and can't get anything going, which is rather inexplicable when you look at the track records and potential of many of the players. Sure, they lack an impact superstar up front, but you could say so do the Boston Bruins, and it didn't stop them from winning a Stanley Cup.

So is that it? Is it time to Fail for Nail (expected first overall 2012 pick, Nail Yakupov)? Not yet, but all signs indicate it is time for action. Geoff Molson must show what kind of an owner and president he is going to be by firmly addressing the issues within his staff. Blame the players all you'd like, but the men in charge must now face the music.

Trying to Understand Jacques Martin's Lines

Since his hiring, I've not been shy about criticizing the coaching of Jacques Martin. I don't think he's a bad coach. In fact, I think he is a great coach for the right team. For the most part, however, I haven't found his style to mesh well with the group of players the Montreal Canadiens have.

Martin is a defensive-minded tactician. He likes players who are responsible in their own end and make few mistakes. Think Tom Pyatts and Andreas Engqvists. He likes balancing out his lines, putting defensive-minded players alongside goal scorers to increase the team's depth up front. He feels that the best way to eliminate errors is to punish them, frequently cutting ice time in response to a mistake. He tends to overlook potentially better choices if the ones he made previously are winning; that is to say he is a believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." He is not a strong communicator, often criticized by departing players for not having informed them of his intentions or rationale.

That said, he does coach a strong defensive system that is quite effective, particularly in tight-scoring playoff games. For a group of responsible veterans close to a Stanley Cup, he might be the perfect bench boss. That team isn't the Canadiens though. At least not right now.

But I can live with his unorthodox style. What is driving me crazy on the eve of the regular season is his line-up. Granted, the Habs' lines will change many times over the course of the season, and many different iterations will be tested. But at the moment, his initial personnel decisions are incomprehensible to me.

Martin is no Guy Carbonneau, notorious for his far too frequent shuffling of trios. Carbonneau seemed just one step shy of auditioning Ryan O'Byrne for the glaring hole need of a power forward. Sure Martin loves inserting a grinder like Travis Moen on to a scoring line, but he hasn't been THAT crazy. At least not yet.

Flash forward to this year's training camp. When Jacques Martin dropped Brian Gionta to David Desharnais's wing in favour of Brendan Gallagher in the penultimate preseason game, one thing was clear: he was seeking three relatively balanced scoring lines.

With Gallagher back in the WHL, Gionta returned to Scott Gomez's wing, and it was Erik Cole's turn to take a spin with Desharnais. This created the following top 9, which has held right through to yesterday's practice, and thus should be expected to start game 1 in Toronto:

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Andrei Kostitsyn

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brain Gionta

Mathieu Darche - David Desharnais - Erik Cole

Habs fans were in uproar over Cole's name on a "third line." "Patience," I urged. Cole would surely still get big minutes, taking some shifts in place of Kostitsyn and getting plenty of powerplay time. Besides, it leaves two tried, tested, and true trios in tact as a top 6 while giving the team their best third scoring line in years. Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri don't NEED Cole to produce offense, while Andrei Kostitsyn and Desharnais both had weak preseasons and thus should be surrounded by better players. Cole himself spoke out saying he understood the change given that the players in the top 6 had experience and chemistry playing together, and that the club had to decide where he would best fit in over time. These lines, for now, could be rationalized. The fourth line, due to injuries, looked like:

Travis Moen - Andreas Engqvist - Yannick Weber

We won't get into the Andreas Engqvist debate here, as he appears poised to make the squad despite a poor training camp that showed he didn't have the best off-season training summer. Despite his good size, he has looked extremely weak on his feet, knocked off the puck far easier than a man of his height should be. Instead, let's talk Yannick Weber. The d-man as a forward was a favourite move of Carbonneau, but in Martin's defense, Weber actually looked reasonable filling in at forward during the playoffs last year. A disappointing camp meant Weber was passed by many in the blueline depth chart, but a main advantage of having him in the line-up at forward is the ability to have him at the point on a powerplay unit.

Up till now, I've defended Martin's choices here. But you'll notice the common thread in my explanations was the powerplay units. So surely, by providing them below, we'll be all good and can wrap this article up, right?

Mike Cammalleri - David Desharnais - Andrei Kostitsyn

Tomas Plekanec - P.K. Subban

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta

Chris Campoli - Raphael Diaz

Thank you for reading, and tune in... wait.... what? What? WHAT?! You read that right. Based on practices in Collingwood, these will be our PP lines to start the year.

Before you jump on me with the "It's only training camp practice! The real lines are being hidden/rested" excuse, keep in mind the team's powerplay looked pretty awful during preseason. If the real units were different than these, they would undoubtedly be the ones getting in the extra practice time. So there you have it. No Erik Cole. No Yannick Weber.

Did Cole kick Jacques Martin's dog or something? All he has done since being signed (admittedly we have only preseason to go off of) is come exactly as advertised. He throws his body around, creates turnovers, goes to the net looking for rebounds and deflections, and even led the team in points over the 8 preseason games, held off the scoresheet in only 1 of the games for which he was dressed. And now he's slotted on to a third line with no powerplay time. I don't know the reason this newly acquired established veteran may have dug himself into the doghouse even before game 1, but hopefully this is just a temporary experiment. With the contract Pierre Gauthier gave Cole this summer, he is being counted on to be a big part of the offense for the new few seasons. I'm not sure how the inconsistent Kostitsyn gets a spot on the top unit ahead of him.

I won't be biased here. For the record, career-wise, Cole has 43 PPG in 620 games, while Kostitsyn has 29 in 326. Kostitsyn had 5 last year (out of his 20 goals) to Cole's 3 (out of 26). Thus, the averages are on Andrei's side. But who on the top PP unit is going to post himself in front of the opposing goalie? That's not Cammalleri's spot. Desharnais can do it, but many goalies can look right over him. Kostitsyn will do it on occasion, but will also disappear. That's why Cole seems to be the perfect fit there over him.

As for Weber, he did not impress during the preseason, so I would not mind him being off the powerplay. That is, if he were not in the line-up. His shot is the main reason the team is dressing him, and yet they are taking away his best opportunity to use it. If the plan is to play him at forward with defensive-minded linemates and that's it, that's all, why not dress Mike Blunden instead? If you want another offensive talent at forward, why not play Aaron Palushaj? If Weber is not being used on the powerplay, there is no reason or excuse for him being played up front. Is the Canadiens' defense that fragile that Martin wants a spare dressed just in case one of them blows a tire? Maybe we'll get lucky and Montreal will put in a successful waiver claim today for Blair Betts or Victor Oreskovich, two big forwards who could really help out.

Kudos to you, Jacques Martin, you have me stumped. For the good of the team, I hope your wacky choices pay dividends. But at least, I can be confident that if these lines struggle, you won't hesitate to change them up.