by GABRIEL MORENCY

In case you haven't noticed, and it wouldn't be hard not to, the Canadiens have played more than a quarter of their 82-game National Hockey League schedule that has so far had about the same entertainment value as banging your head against a brick wall to the sounds of Mitsou while being forced to watch a complete episode of Loft Story. Which you just might actually feel like doing, if you have seen the Canadiens play this season's first 25 games.

Bob Gainey says he still needs more time to get to know the cast that he has in front of him. Well, get in line Bob, as it will take a team of the Montreal General Hospital's best psychiatrists to figure out the enigma that is the recent and current crop of Montreal Canadiens.

The franchise formerly known as the Dynasty has not won a championship in 10 years, has missed the playoffs four times in the last five years, and for one reason or another doesn't seem very interested in small details like, I don't know, finishing checks, blocking shots, fighting for loose pucks, standing up for one another, competing for a full 60 minutes - you know, those stupid little things that professional hockey players are expected to do in-between trips to Paris and Saturday nights at Buena Notte.

While it is, and has been, easy to point at the overpaid underachievers on the ice for the deterioration of what was once a proud franchise, management must shoulder the blame as well. The complacency of the team has seemingly spread to the seventh floor of the Bell Centre as well, where management spends too much time measuring profits from over-priced beer and parking concessions stockpiled from a faithful that last year led the league in attendance. Too much time spent booking Nickelback and Garou, and not enough time - and more importantly, money - on booking a Sergei Fedorov or a Mike Comrie. It seems as though the bleu, blanc et rouge have become just another cog in the Gillett Entertainment Group, with the games themselves just another opportunity to plug Marie-Chantal Toupin's or Nicola Ciccone's latest piece of crap video or CD release (of which, through Factor grants, you have actually paid for!! But that's another story).

While it is true that the Canadiens should see more dividends by having the 10th highest payroll in the National Hockey League, it is clearly not enough in a world where there are no moral victories for coming close, and unless the suits start spending as much on the hockey club as they do on creating musicals (prepare for Don Juan!), it won't matter if it's Bob Gainey or Sam freaking Pollock at the helm, the only new banner that will be hanging from the rafters will be Linkin Park's backdrop when they play the Bell Centre next January. Didn't know they were coming? Go to a Canadiens game near you for details!

Random Rage

The Canadiens are beginning to show some signs of life as both Jan Bulis and Richard Zednik are starting to heat up after sleepwalking through the first 20 games of the season. The goaltending has been solid and, although it would be hard to tell, the club is tougher than it was last season with the acquisitions of Steve Bégin and Darren Langdon. Michael Ryder and Sheldon Souray have both exceeded expectations. Saku Koivu has stayed healthy and even Patrice Brisebois is playing well. That being said, Claude Julien could get more out of his players if he would open it up a little bit and let his players use their offensive talent instead of playing for a 0-0 tie, especially versus the Blue Jackets and Panthers of the league.

Pigskin Prognosticator

Sunday, Dec 7
San Diego at Detroit (-3) Detroit
Seattle at Minnesota (-1.5) Minnesota
Kansas City at Denver (-2) Denver

Sports Rage with Gabriel Morency is vented weeknights 11 p.m.-2 a.m. on TEAM 990 AM. This column appears bi-weekly. Comments: sportsrage@team990.com