Carbonneau Out, Gainey Takes Over As Habs Try To Save Season

The Habs are trying to shake up the team with just 16 games remaining in what can only be a disappointing season for Les Canadiens. Expectations were huge for the Montreal Canadiens after winning their division last year but the teams fortunes have been going down the drain as they desperately try to salvage the 2008-2009 NHL season. Habs legend Guy Carbonneau has been cut loose as head coach and general manager and former teammate Bob Gainey has stepped up to take the reins.

So, Car-bo is out with a record this year 36-24-7 which just doesn't cut it in the NHL at least for the Habs. Obviously they are expecting this move to cause the players to jump up. After the coach gets turfed, who is next? The are several players on the Habs who have turned in less than expected results. Carey Price for one. He seemed like the next Patrick Roy, but turned into Holie-the-Goalie for long stretches. He allowed 28 goals in 6 games recently which is atrocious for a number one goalie. Alexei Kovalev has also had to be kicked in the pants to get moving just before the trade deadline. There are rumours that Kovalev spoke poorly about the lacklustre performance of his teammates to a Russian reporter, something Kovalev denies vehemently. But Alexei was left behind on a recent road trip as a healthy scratch by the Canadiens as they embarked on another losing road trip.

The Canadiens would have been expected to have at least a modicum of jump when they hit the ice but they turned in a cold performance against the visiting Edmonton Oilers waiting 17 minutes before getting a shot on net. They did come from behind in the third period and won in overtime, but that is not the effort of a team that should be fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot. There are a lot of teams looking at the Habs as easy pickins going down the stretch as they try to improve their playoff situations.

It's all up to Montreal to prove that they deserve to be in the post-season this year. Habs fans may think I'm being too hard on their team, but it at is their team that the Montreal faithful should be pointing their collective fingers. The Montreal Canadiens are always expected to do well, and this season had all the earmarks for being something special as the franchise celebrated their 100th season as a hockey club. So far, all they've provided has been disappointment and have left a very bad taste in the mouths of hockey fans.