Don't Look Too Far Ahead

Rearranging the coasters on the Lounge bar.

*** With a 4-2 victory last night at Honda Center, the Anaheim Ducks put a period on a record winning streak by the Los Angeles Kings. The downside? Ryan Getzlaf. Down on the ice. Sprained ankle.

Did you hear that, Canada? Someone you are counting on for grit and a scoring touch in the Vancouver Games is on crutches. Getzlaf's status will be re-examined today.

And that is what passes for heart-stopping moments as we approach the Olympic men's hockey tournament, which begins next week. Any injury, however slight, will cause GMs in the NHL as well as the men running the Olympic teams to reflect, re-evaluate and resolve to remain committed to NHLers in the Olympics.



*** This video might appear a bit old -- it's from Saturday -- but not as old as some of the pretzels served here in the Lounge.

Michigan at Wisconsin at Camp Randall stadium. Gotta warm up the hockey crowd somehow. Did someone say House of Pain? Time to jump around and recirculate the blood, or whatever antifreeze that is not doing the job at the moment.

The Badgers won. Camp Randall still standing. A nice scene. Glad I was indoors, watching in the Lounge.

*** Back to the Olympics. NHL.com has a page devoted to the Vancouver games -- All Access Vancouver -- with rosters, features, schedules and, one assumes, plenty of stats and summaries as we move toward Russia defeating Canada for the gold medal. Yes, that's my pick, even though I am not firmly behind the goaltending of Evgeni Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov.

As for the United States, I see problems in goal, a lack of size up front and a defense that is not a strong as some of the tournament entries. I see a loss to the Swedes in the bronze medal game.

What say you?

*** Some lucky fans in North America will not have to pay to watch the Carolina Hurricanes face the Minnesota Wild next season. Those two teams will open the 2010-11 season with a double dip in Helsinki.

Also heading to Europe for two games are the Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes. The Blue Jackets and Sharks will play twice in Stockholm; the Bruins and Coyotes will meet twice in Prague.

*** Roy MacGregor of The Toronto Globe and Mail gets to have the final word in the Lounge when it comes to Bob Gainey, who leaves the Montreal Canadiens in much the same way he found it. A franchise with great history, a hallowed sweater and few players worthy of wearing it.

Goodbye, Bob Gainey

The website TSN.ca is reporting that Bob Gainey will step down as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. The announcement will come at a press conference at 4 pm Eastern.

The Toronto Globe and Mail reports that Pierre Gauthier will take over Gainey's duties, although the newspaper was not clear whether Gauthier is the interim GM or the permanent GM.

Here's Dave Hodge of TSN, taking this stand last March, and he's not a fan of Gainey's work.



While no one can question the history and heritage of the great Canadiens franchise, it can be argued that its relevance to the league today is only that it remains an iconic figure to the people of Quebec and to francophone politics.

This franchise has not won the Stanley Cup since 1993. It has rarely approached the level of success and sophistication that the teams of late 1970s enjoyed. Instead, it has offered a middling level of style, a disappointing record in the playoffs and an embarrassingly long centennial celebration, spanning two seasons.

The fans remain willing to follow the team, and they are passionate inside the Bell Centre. But the team remains a middle-of-the-pack squad, capable of floating between the sixth and 11th spot in the Eastern Conference. (The Canadiens are 28-26-6.)

That's perhaps an achievement for Atlanta, Florida, Tampa Bay or the New York Islanders. That's an indictment in Quebec. Montrealers deserve better. Will the Canadiens strive to hire the best, or will the franchise draw upon its storied past by hiring another former Canadien to lead the team.

That plan hasn't worked in a while. Perhaps it's time to draw up a new plan.