Changes A-Comin'

After an exceptional first quarter, the Canadiens have plummeted. Four losses in a row, only 5 or so wins in their last 25 games. Play the blame game if you want - injuries, bad bounces, slumps here and there - but the fact of the matter is that the fundamental problems with this team that were ignorable when the Habs were hot are creeping up on them now, in these trying times. Here they are in no particular order:

• Mike Ribeiro (and Pierre Dagenais): As I have said many times before, Ribeiro is a disruption in the dressing room. He has made the team cliquey; he's disliked by at least several of his teammates; and, worst of all, he's a lazy, cocky player. Unfortunately, because he is loved by the French media, who have this amazing power over the Canadiens' roster for some reason, Ribeiro has not yet been moved. He has scored 1 goal in his last 25 games, and has been a healthy scratch the past two games. Unacceptable for a second-line centre making $1.2 million. Ribeiro claims that the last time he was benched, in 2003-04, he came back much more ready to contribute. Again - it shouldn't take a benching to motivate a supposed "regular" NHLer, especially more than one. Ribeiro better start thinking about real estate agents, because Bob Gainey (hopefully) won't be so patient with him this time around.
  
• An inconsistent José Theodore: The rumours are floating around for this man, too. People have started likening Theodore to Jim Carrey, the Washington Capitals goaltender who won the Vézina trophy one year and practically disappeared the next. You have to wonder if Theo will ever be able to hold the fort as he did in his breakout season, because he's only shown slight flashes of it so far this year. "No Way" José has been rumoured to be moving to teams in need of goaltending help, especially Colorado and Vancouver, and while I would love to have Hejduk or Jovanovski in Montreal, I doubt either team would give up that much. Remember, again, the pull that the French media have when it comes to francophone Habs, and also the possibility that Theodore could pull a Patrick Roy and re-attain his superstar status. Wouldn't that be embarrassing.
  
• Claude Julien's coaching: I hate to say it, because he's a great coach, but you have to start asking questions if you're barely able to muster a win in 25 games. 5 games? OK. 10 games? A little slump. But 25? Uh-uh. Julien was not Gainey's man, and although the GM has asserted his confidence in the Habs' entraîneur chef, results are what really count. I would love to see Ted Nolan coach the Canadiens; if there's one man who wouldn't care about the pressures of Montreal, he's it. Hopefully, if Julien is axed, which is becoming more and more likely, Gainey will opt for a coach with NHL experience rather than the likes of Tremblay, Vigneault, Therrien, and Julien. And maybe, just maybe, he'll ignore Nolan's inability to speak French.
  
• Gainey: People make mistakes, but a few too many have come his way. Radek Bonk for Mathieu Garon. Ron Hainsey. Marcel Hossa. Carey Price. About the only really good move Gainey has made was the Alex Kovalev trade, but don't expect much more star power to be headed our way. The mix of the language issues, taxes, French media, and pressure make it very undesireable for players who have any say, namely the good ones, to pick Montreal.

So here we are again, another bundle of frustration to deal with in hockey's most historic city. Just when things were looking up, the Canadiens have once again helped outsiders understand why it is so hard to be a Habs fan. On their best days, the modern-day Canadiens are mediocre, and on their very worst they rub elbows with the likes of the Panthers, Blue Jackets, and Islanders. Where has the pride gone that once ignited every man who ever wore their storied jersey? Those that bleed bleu, blanc, et rouge are once again waiting for a transfusion, but when will the Canadiens be strong enough to move past Band-Aid solutions? Changes are coming soon, but they will only be quick fixes. The "Cardiac" Canadiens are flatlining; it's time for us to see some more heart.