Montreal’s Calamity

On Monday, the Montreal Canadians fired Coach Guy Carbonneau. General Manager Bob Gainey supplanted him. “The last eight weeks of performance have been below average, and I believe a change in the direction at ice level is necessary,” said Gainey. “For sure, Guy was a special player for Canadiens, a captain. He took a very difficult job [as coach] and tried his best to advance the team. It's never an easy message to deliver to anyone, but it was at a point where I felt it was needed.”

During his career, Carbonneau logged a 129-90-22 ledger. Upon his firing, the Canadians stood 35-24-7. “I'm not going to make black-and-white changes,” said Gainey. “But we need to move toward being a better, stronger, more consistent team defensively and an offensive team that takes advantage of our opportunities.”

This season, the Canadians have amassed 77 points. In the Eastern Conference, they stand fifth. If this exchange possesses rationale, the rationale is invisible.