Montreal Canadiens fire Coach Guy Carbonneau

Has anyone thought that this team just plain sucks? Other than Markov and Komisarek...what is there to like? They are so...average. And that's being kind.

Unless Gainey is some kind of magician, they'll miss the playoffs. And if Gainey gets them in, it'll be all for not as they're destroyed by whatever team they play.

It's mostly Gainey's fault for waiting until this summer to purge the team of all the useless players there have (by telling them to flock off to UFA-dom).

Rubbish. Couldn't happen to a better fanbase either.

beedub wrote:
Cronie, you're forgetting the Khabibulin factor. Smoking so much you are sneaking out between periods for a couple of fags is actually helping his game.

LOL - are you guys serious? Do they actually smoke?

504Heater wrote:

beedub wrote:
Cronie, you're forgetting the Khabibulin factor. Smoking so much you are sneaking out between periods for a couple of fags is actually helping his game.

LOL - are you guys serious? Do they actually smoke?

Well, it's about the only stimulant left that's legal, no?
(no, I don't smoke - I'm an avid anti-smoker, in fact.)

Love to see one of them go into a coughing fit just as they're about to make a big play:
"But coach, I couldn't stop the puck and cough up a lung at the same time..."

davetherave wrote:

Acrobat wrote:I wonder if it matters - Gainey has demonstrated that he wasn't concerned about keeping the team together long-term, by allowing 10-12 players to go this long without a contract for next year. How many of them will feel loyal to him, or whomever he hires?

And of those that are left, how do they feel about the commitment to the team, when several of the core players (Kovalev, Koivu, Komisarek) are still unsigned?

The other side of that coin is that the unsigned players should be playing their tails off to earn those nice fat new contracts.

When there's that many, especially of the core players, it comes off as the GM sending a message that he's cleaning house, and that nobody is wanted any more. I'd agree if there were one or two spots to fight for, though.

The alternate explanation is that Gainey no longer has the power to sign the contracts, and is just keeping the seat warm. Less likely before, but may become more of an issue.

Acrobat wrote: When there's that many, especially of the core players, it comes off as the GM sending a message that he's cleaning house, and that nobody is wanted any more. I'd agree if there were one or two spots to fight for, though.

The alternate explanation is that Gainey no longer has the power to sign the contracts, and is just keeping the seat warm. Less likely before, but may become more of an issue.

Gainey's stated policy--and the players know it--is that he does not negotiate during the season.

The players don't get a pass on this one.

Gainey put together a team that should have been able to do more than it did under Carbo. Carbonneau had an opportunity that few get--be the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens even though he'd never been a head coach anywhere.

And so it goes...

exactly DTR.

While I will not take away from what Carbo was able to do on the ice when he laced 'em up in his day; sadly it seems that he either ran out of things to try or he is yet another casualty of a good player that didn't make the translation or transition behind the bench.

Either way, Gainey sure has his hands full now, between HC duties, RFA/UFA season coming and another potential post-season dung-laying, wow, must suck to be a habs fan and see this happening... As a long-time Sens fan, it's nothing new to me, but for once I'm glad we're playing relatively well and now it's someone else's turn to have a roller coaster season.

Also, I suppose I could argue that even though Gainey does NOT negotiate during the season, by moving behind the bench, he will have a first-hand view of everyone's performance and play and could potentially make his decision(s) that much easier in June & July.

Cronie wrote:exactly DTR.

While I will not take away from what Carbo was able to do on the ice when he laced 'em up in his day; sadly it seems that he either ran out of things to try or he is yet another casualty of a good player that didn't make the translation or transition behind the bench.

Either way, Gainey sure has his hands full now, between HC duties, RFA/UFA season coming and another potential post-season dung-laying, wow, must suck to be a habs fan and see this happening... As a long-time Sens fan, it's nothing new to me, but for once I'm glad we're playing relatively well and now it's someone else's turn to have a roller coaster season.

Also, I suppose I could argue that even though Gainey does NOT negotiate during the season, by moving behind the bench, he will have a first-hand view of everyone's performance and play and could potentially make his decision(s) that much easier in June & July.

I'm a little late to the party, so perhaps it's already been mentioned. I have to put a large slice of the blame pie on Gainey's plate. He is the one who brought on Kovalev (who's been known to play only when he wants to -- a.k.a. a coach killer). Having Koivu as their first line centre for so many years -- not entirely his fault, but has he done anything to fix that? And don't tell me he was in the Sundin sweepstakes last year and this year -- Sundin didn't sign with the Habs. Installing a rookie goalie with no veteran backup to help him out. Don't even get me started on those Kostitsyns. And if George Laracque was the answer, what the hell was the question?

The team looks nothing like the Habs teams of old. No persona, no identity except for maybe Koivu. Too many euros.

So, yes, Carbo gets fired, and he probably deserves at least some of the blame, but that was a horrible team that Gainey had assembled. They had one lucky year when everything went their way, but we all knew that any team that relies on Kovalev as their main scorer will eventually find out what he's all about.

Prags, you're not a 'Hab Hater' by any chance are you?

To put the Kovalev Factor in perspective, Gainey actually pulled off a steal when he traded Jozef Balej--yes, that Jozef Balej--for Kovalev back in 2004. Kovalev, whose last two seasons with the Rangers had been turgid, became a 'reclamation project' of sorts for Gainey. He got 23 goals out of him the first year, and then AK moped through the following season falling to 18, before responding to Bob's off-season ultimatum with 35 goals.

Kovalev is one of the most intriguing and infuriating players in the game. He clearly has exceptional hockey skills, but one never knows what to expect from him. The word 'mercurial' could have been invented to describe this difficult individual.

He reportedly once said "Bob Gainey is the only one who really understands me". A fitting addendum to the soap opera which has always been the saga of Le Club De Hockey Canadien.

fuk, they're blowin' it after 2 ... lets see what gainey's motivational speach for the 3rd will do ...

GO OIL!!!

shabbs wrote:GO OIL!!!

I second that emotion.

Rollie The Goalie is a warrior...

Dave, I lived in Montreal the first 20 years of my life in Canada. I grew up on Nos Glorieux -- Robinson, Lapointe, Shutt, Lafleur, Gainey, Jarvis, then later Carbo, Lemieux, Ludwig, Chelios, Roy and so on. Steve Penney. Red Light Racicot. Gaston Gingras. John Kordic. Chris Nilan (got his autograph once -- him and Tim Raines were the only ones I ever asked). I remember all those players fondly (yes, even the Kordics and Racicots).

So, no, I am not a Habs Hater, but this edition of the Habs has absolutely nothing in common with the teams I idolized growing up.

davetherave wrote:Prags, you're not a 'Hab Hater' by any chance are you?

To put the Kovalev Factor in perspective, Gainey actually pulled off a steal when he traded Jozef Balej--yes, that Jozef Balej--for Kovalev back in 2004. Kovalev, whose last two seasons with the Rangers had been turgid, became a 'reclamation project' of sorts for Gainey. He got 23 goals out of him the first year, and then AK moped through the following season falling to 18, before responding to Bob's off-season ultimatum with 35 goals.

Kovalev is one of the most intriguing and infuriating players in the game. He clearly has exceptional hockey skills, but one never knows what to expect from him. The word 'mercurial' could have been invented to describe this difficult individual.

He reportedly once said "Bob Gainey is the only one who really understands me". A fitting addendum to the soap opera which has always been the saga of Le Club De Hockey Canadien.

Red Light Racicot... ahhh yeah... good times.

wprager wrote:Dave, I lived in Montreal the first 20 years of my life in Canada. I grew up on Nos Glorieux -- Robinson, Lapointe, Shutt, Lafleur, Gainey, Jarvis, then later Carbo, Lemieux, Ludwig, Chelios, Roy and so on. Steve Penney. Red Light Racicot. Gaston Gingras. John Kordic. Chris Nilan (got his autograph once -- him and Tim Raines were the only ones I ever asked). I remember all those players fondly (yes, even the Kordics and Racicots).

So, no, I am not a Habs Hater, but this edition of the Habs has absolutely nothing in common with the teams I idolized growing up.

Prags, just teasing you my friend...as you well know, Les Glorieux tend to incite passionate love-hate relationships, even with their own fans...which I experienced first hand during the years I lived in Montreal.

I completely agree with you re: this edition of Le Canadien. No resemblance whatsoever to the great championship teams.

BTW was lucky enough to see Dryden, Beliveau, Cournoyer et al in an unforgettable playoff game vs. the Bobby Orr-led Bruins at the Forum back in the early 70s. I know the thrill you mean.

I have to agree with Wprager.

When I was younger, being an Ottawa boy born and raised, I was a leaf fan, but my mother's side of the family who are 110% Quebec french were hardcore Habs and I remember hearing the stories of the Rocket, and watching the occasional hab game with my grandfather and uncles and back then they were a fantastic org and something to be envied for sure. In fact, I've met Guy LaFleur on 3 occasions (he's done charity work in partnership with the RCMP and so my father (a mountie) would bring me along knowing I'd get a chance to meet him and others, like Mahovolich, etc...

This Habs team of late is, to reiterate a previous poster's post, NOTHING at all like the Habs of past. the passion, the dream and fire is NOT there and that must fall on Gainey's head. Carbo deserves some blame, but at the end of the day, Gainey is the fella bringing these players into the fold and while it is and was Carbo's job to get the best out of them, well, especially in Kovalev and the Kostitistin's cases: you can bring a horse to water...

McGuire made a good point this morning about the lack of talented UFAs actually wanting to come and play in Montreal.

Did you guys actually hear that guy who called? Rudy was his name- "I think Gainey is a genius for the contracts he's signed- with the economy so low, he's going to have a ton of room to go 'bargain shopping' for UFAs in the summer when other teams are going to be strapped for cash" was his argument.

Okay Rudy, so what you're saying is Gainey predicted the economic downturn a few years back when he issued all these contracts- and now that it's come to fruition, he's a genius because he has to either a) resign ALL of them (to what Rudy thinks will be a lower price tag because the economy is so low) or b) go shopping for 'bargains' at UFA day.

Sad thing is Rudy, in case you haven't noticed- the shelves aren't exactly stock full of high talent UFAs, and even if it was- as McGuire mentioned- none of them really want to play in Montreal.
Also, it's going to be a "rude-y" awakening when he sees that regardless of the recession, the teams will still throw asinine amounts of money at high level free agents. Included in this category is anybody on the beloved habs roster- and Kovalev is headed straight to Russia if Gainey doesn't resign him.

Sorry for the rant, this guy's point just made me so mad...

Cronie wrote:I have to agree with Wprager.

When I was younger, being an Ottawa boy born and raised, I was a leaf fan, but my mother's side of the family who are 110% Quebec french were hardcore Habs and I remember hearing the stories of the Rocket, and watching the occasional hab game with my grandfather and uncles and back then they were a fantastic org and something to be envied for sure. In fact, I've met Guy LaFleur on 3 occasions (he's done charity work in partnership with the RCMP and so my father (a mountie) would bring me along knowing I'd get a chance to meet him and others, like Mahovolich, etc...

This Habs team of late is, to reiterate a previous poster's post, NOTHING at all like the Habs of past. the passion, the dream and fire is NOT there and that must fall on Gainey's head. Carbo deserves some blame, but at the end of the day, Gainey is the fella bringing these players into the fold and while it is and was Carbo's job to get the best out of them, well, especially in Kovalev and the Kostitistin's cases: you can bring a horse to water...

oh definitely the roster of the modern day Habitants is nothing compared to the historical rosters, but that may have ended with not having a preference on drafting the french quebecer players (was there such a thing for the Habs or am I wrong?) Most of the historic players from the dynasty days of the habs, they were I am sure, if not all, then mostly french canadians.

Getting back to the Carboneau firing; when's the last time a GM took over for a coach heading into the playoffs and it actually paid off with a Finals appearance or a Stanley Cup? I honestly don't know. Has it ever happened? Recent memory brings me to the Sens with Brian Murray and Lou Lamourello with the Devils and both times it failed.