Bad Habit (Bad Pun)

Ref: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=276195.

Some years I wonder why I still root for this team, and this has nothing to do with their inability to win. In past years, I have despised the majority of their top two lines, save for Saku. There was (is) Kovalev the whiner, the diver, the overpaid sook. And there was Ribeiro the greasy and bug-eyed diving whiner. Theodore - the disgraced, whining, underachieving egomaniac. Souray - the accused alcoholic wife-beater who seldom had anything positive to say about his team mates (although I agree with him there). Grabovski. Bonk. And so on.

But recently it seemed that Gainey had righted the ship somewhat - shipping out some of the assholes and dead weight, motivating Kovalev, instilling hope in the form of Carey Price, and basically making it easier on my conscience to root for this team again. Last season was fantastic, with all of our top three lines overachieving like Mogilny on a contract year. In retrospect, it is obvious that the bar was set unrealistically high, and I - and the rest of Montreal - had become endeared to players who this year were revealed to be dirty and useless and potentially criminals. See the Kostitsyns - the new target for my frustrations - fraternizing with mafia, slew-footing opposing players into the boards from behind, not scoring. Hamrlik - old, lazy, slow. Dandenault and Brisebois - useless tokens to appease the french media, watch them fire the puck over the glass! Lapierre - snaggle-toothed pest... actually I like Lapierre.

And don't get me started on the disgusting Bell Centre fans.

I hope whoever ends up owning this team makes the best of the UFA situation this summer and builds a team that I can get behind. I'm no GM, but I would keep Koivu and Komi and Tanguay, Bouillon, Schneider and Lang. Let the rest walk. Push to get Biron as a back-up/tandem for Price. Push for Boumeester. Swallow your pride and make an offer for Lecavalier. Stay away from glass Gaborik. Maybe try to move the Kostitsyns - that would be nice. Purty please.

But we all know I will keep cheering regardless. I am, after all, a creature of habit.