There is a double edged sword that goes along with being a fan of the Montreal Canadiens lately.
On one hand, it totally sucks. It is maddening and unacceptable that the team I fully expect to at least scrape its way into a playoff berth will not manage it this year. On the other hand, if they start winning now they'll blow out my wishes for them to pick high in this year's entry draft.
I'm unaccustomed to wanting my team to lose.
It feels all wrong and it seems I'm not going to get used to it. Also, the Habs are hell bent on making me crazy, mounting near comebacks that have me yelling at my TV for them to simultaneously win and lose the game.
I can't have it both ways but I accept that for the near future I'm going to be walking this fine line of hockey madness.
What I find more concerning is what will happen after this nightmare of a season is finally finished — not a moment too soon.
Will Geoff Molson finally oust Bob Gainey and his cohorts once and for all, preventing them from continuing to make a hash of this organization? Your guess is as good as mine.
Gainey has made a hash of things for years now, and his disciple hasn't fared much better. I'll grant that Pierre Gauthier has made a few nice moves, but he's made some questionable ones as well. Often, his main goal appears to be not getting fired.
If Gauthier has a detailed plan, an actual strategy, to fix what is arguably one of the worst incarnations ever of the Montreal Canadiens then I'll gladly eat some crow. But this guy's big focus seems to be almost exclusively on "fixing leaky roofs".
The acquisition of Tomas Kaberle to aid the power play is his latest patch job and not a particularly good one at that. Chris Campoli was another patch that didn't hold out the water.
Then there's his sacrificial lambs of Perry Pearn, Jacques Martin and the mid-game trade of Michael Cammalleri to the Calgary Flames.
Regardless of what good Gauthier may have thought he was doing for the team with these moves, how he executed them hardly instills faith in the man. His actions do not leave the impression that he knows what he is doing or fully appreciates the legacy of this organization or the high standards to which its fans hold this club off the ice.
A rudderless ship will always run aground.
While I may have a modicum of faith in Trevor Timmins and his scouting abilities, I lack faith that this team will not pick another David Fischer or a defensive prospect when they've been needing a true number one center for far too long.
I lack faith that any desirable unrestricted free agent will actually want to sign here because of the language laws that impact their children, the higher tax bracket and the intense public scrutiny.
Erik Cole signed here despite all that, partly because of how the Habs routinely make the playoffs, and less than a year into his contract that hasn't worked out so well. That makes Montreal an even harder sell for other UFAs now.
I lack faith that Geoff Molson will keep his word and make this team great again, or tamper with it in any meaningful way while he's still turning a substantial profit. It would take years of tanking before the Habs losses would have to be addressed.
Then there's his boyhood connection to Canadiens legends like Gainey whom he no doubt reveres and defers to regardless of the his actual track record in hockey management. If Molson's a loyal fan like me, as he has claimed to be, then Gainey and the pack of underlings he has compiled to run the Canadiens are more untouchable than Carey Price.
So while I watch the players continue their attempts to thwart my wishes for a top five draft pick, I'll exercise some more of my sorely tested patience. I'll try to enjoy watching the kids play, and enjoy the online interactions of my social networks.
Just don't expect me to have much faith that this is all going to get magically fixed in the summer.
---
Rosalyn used to frequent the old Forum during her early childhood when her father was a corporate season ticket holder, where she fell in love with Larry Robinson, so her lifelong obsession with the Habs is entirely his fault.
(Photo by Getty Images North America)
