The Nightmare is Over!
A 3-2 victory against Toronto in the last game of the season is
no consolation prize for the worst campaign in 50 years. With a
record of 32 wins, 39 losses, and 11 ties for 75 points this
season, the Habs have to find solutions to their many problems on
and off the ice. Contractual problems, striking players during
training camp, lack of leadership, of credibility, and of big
goal-scorers; those are some of the difficulties Montreal faced
this season.
"We don't want to do the same thing next year," Shayne Corson
said. "We're not going to make any excuses. We didn't play to our
capabilities and completely underachieved. We have to take a
good long look in the mirror and then we can build."
This situation didn't come overnight, and it is the result of a
long process.
First, scouting just has not been paying off for some years.
Second, the coaching staff has managed to lose credibility in the
eyes of some players by not having come down hard enough on guys
like Vladimir Malakhov who had left his teammates down last
spring against the Buffalo Sabres. In showing such weakness the
coaches created a situation where players were not reluctant to
defy their authority, just think of Igor Ulanov - face to face
with Dave King at Phoenix last December - or of Mark Recchi.
And third, no captain in the last few seasons has been able to
encourage team spirit in the dressing room.
Benoit Brunet Stood Out
Among all that, certain players stand out: Benoit Brunet, who
never gave up, and goaltender Jeff Hackett, who succeeded in not
making an awful season even worse. Hackett played in 52 games
with the Canadiens, posted a record of 23-20-9, with five
shutouts.
"You have to learn from this," said Hackett. "If we do, then the
season was a worthwhile year, as an experience that might wake up
the whole team, the whole organization, the whole everything.
If we don't learn from it, then it was a crappy year."
Everyone has to learn from this season because the team is taking
a dangerous course. So just settle any contractual problem before
training camp and let's get some offense.
"We need to make up for the loss of Recchi and Damphousse and
possibly of Stephane Quintal (who becomes a free agent in July),"
said Saku Koivu. "The acquisition of a good center would help."
Just think. The Habs scored only 184 goals compared to 235 last
season. They share the worst offensive record of the NHL along
with Tampa Bay. In addition, it's the first time since the
1940-41 season that no player has scored 20 goals.
Players and not management are to blame according to Stephane
Quintal: "We could talk about injuries, but that's not it. The
problem is that our big offensive players did not produce goals."
He added, "It's not very often that you see so many key players
run out of steam."
So, is the shuffle of personnel the only solution? Will Quintal,
assistant coach Dave King, and others still be there in
September, only GM Rejean Houle knows, or does he really?
One thing is sure, if you want to see the Habs become a winning
force over the next two years, buy a Nintendo 64 and make up your
own dream team.
