Dear National Hockey League,
I hope this letter finds you well. I hear your bottom line is healthier than ever and should stay that way, at least as long as the Canadian dollar is competitive. (Of course, Canadian teams don't even need to win for that...ha ha!) You're talking about getting tougher on debilitating head injuries, and maybe someday you'll treat them with the kind of automatic penalties you call when a high stick makes contact with a player's head. This is all good stuff.
So, anyway, I thought I'd drop you a line because my Habs are about to start their 57-thousandth playoff series against the Boston Bruins. The funny thing, NHL, is teams seem to acquire reputations over the years, and then they seem to stick to them, no matter who's playing or who's in management. The Bruins have always been known as a tough, relentless, hard-working team. The Canadiens have always been fast, skilled, exciting and passionate. Even in years when those things haven't really been true, they're the images we call to mind when we think of those teams, built on decades of rivalry and respect. Those are the identities teams earn and sustain even in lean years because of the proof of history.
Now, however, the Bruins are in danger of straying from their (mostly) classy history and acting as though thuggery and bullying are what they're about. So what I'm asking is that you step in when it's needed and remind the Bruins there are actually rules in the game and every team, including the one from Boston, is answerable to them. So, for example, when Alexei Emelin or P.K.Subban lays a classic hip check on a player in black and yellow, if you could kindly inform both the checked player and the on-ice officials that those are legal and, actually, very solid defensive plays, that would be great. And, when someone like Zdeno Chara goes all ape-like on the guy making the legal hit, it would be great if he's punished properly. Every time.
Also, if a guy like Milan Lucic chooses to spear an opponent in the 'nads, which he's done quite obviously twice in the last month, it would be much appreciated if you could censure him accordingly. Failing that, giving Emelin or his chosen proxy a shot at the Lucic family jewels with a similar free pass would be acceptable. You probably can't do much about a guy who not only spears someone in the groin, but then after the game calls him a chicken because he won't endanger his surgically-repaired face to fight in defence of his stick-endangered virtue. Calling the penalty would help, though.
As for the diving of which Bruins coaches and players will undoubtedly be loudly accusing the Canadiens, I must be totally honest with you. There is diving in Habs/Bruins games. We've seen it time and time and time again. Don't let your officials be fooled into calling cheap penalties when these blatant dives happen. We all want a fair, clean series.
So, in the interest of being completely up front, the Habs aren't guiltless either. They have been accused in the past of faking a life-threatening injury after a good, solid hockey play. Zdeno Chara, in that case, didn't know the stanchion was there, and lots of people believed him. And, Montreal fans made a terrible fuss about poor Andrew Ference's glove malfunction. He said later he really did mean to flip off Habs fans, but that was probably just to save them from embarrassment of their overreaction. Also, in just the last couple of weeks, the Canadiens have been guilty of playing in games officiated by Francophone referees. To top it all off, the Habs are far from blameless in the many, many times they have beaten the Bruins in important series in the past. We won't even talk about too many men on the ice. As you can see, there's lots of blame to go around when games degenerate into less-than-stellar displays of pure hockey skill.
In conclusion, NHL, all of us want to see the best team win in this series without any help from you or your officials. Let's allow the play on the ice speak for itself, and if it happens to throw out some figurative dirty language, we'd like you to wash out the offending mouths with soap.
Thanks in advance for your consideration,
J.T.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
The Moments
So, I said PDTB (pre-demolition of Tampa Bay) I wasn't going to get crazy about this year's playoffs. I wasn't going to drag out the superstitions or chew my nails to the quick. I refused to work any further on an ulcer 30 post-seasons in the making. I vowed to enjoy the moments, and I have to say, it's working. Of course, it was probably helped by the unusually low number of heart-attack-inducing minutes involved in a four-game sweep, but, nevertheless, it's working.
I think the best thing about the complete satisfaction involved in the Habs first-round win was the fact that every single Canadiens player had a moment worthy of enjoying and remembering. A week later (and what a long week it's been!), I can still picture Tomas Plekanec, lifting Steven Stamkos' stick from behind, clearing the puck away on a potentially dangerous 2-on-1. I see him smiling as a Tampa fan flips him off on the other side of the glass. And I see him taking the team in hand after the Lightning grabbed the momentum with the series' first goal, faking a rookie D out of his shorts and roofing one to bring the Habs back into it, emphatically.
Then there's Rene Bourque. I've written about his resurgence during this post season, and maybe he'll keep it up. Or maybe he won't. Either way, we could certainly savour the sight of him driving the net like a true-blue power forward on every shift. That was so much fun! And Lars Eller, right there with him, feet constantly in motion, relentless on the puck, rewarded by five points in four games, including that laser we'll remember from Game Four.
I enjoyed P.K.Subban taking his own game back in the second match, yelling at J.J.Daigneault behind the bench, then going out there and dominating in a way reminiscent of last year's Norris-calibre style. That was so gratifying, as I've wanted to yell at Daigneault all year. Then, Subban's absolute control on Brendan Gallagher's Game Three goal was a beautiful thing to see. And Andre Markov. Even if Markov didn't (unbelievably) have a point in that series, he was a rock on defence. His clever breakout passes and great positional play gave Alexei Emelin time and space to lay the body, which meant he was able to play his best game. Even Mike Weaver and Francis Bouillon kept their gaffes to a minimum, and I'll remember Weaver's nice clear that led to Brian Gionta's shorty in Game One.
Oh, and Dale Weise and the fourth line were outstanding. Weise turned out to be a speed-demon revelation. Michaël Bournival complemented that speed with his own wheels and a bulldog-like ability to pin the puck in the opposing end, and Daniel Briere proved the mythical "Playoff Briere" actually does exist. It was like discovering the Tooth Fairy riding on Bigfoot's back, distributing leprechaun gold. Briere did all the work on Weise's big game winner in Game One OT, and he scored the all-important opener in Game Four: the one everyone says is the toughest game to win.
Gallagher on Plekanec's wing was a force of nature, as was Gionta in his new home on the third line, with his bold, aggressive penalty killing and opportunistic speed. So many other little moments: Carey Price clearing the puck out on the PK by himself, then robbing Stamkos and Purcell in tight. Briere shaking hands with Ginette Reno after the anthems. Thomas Vanek potting his first playoff goal for Montreal and looking exhilarated about it. David Desharnais breaking the PP slump with the vital opening goal in Game Two. Brandon Prust playing hurt, but busting his butt on the PK anyway. Max Pacioretty, who hit more posts than a carpenter through the series, scoring his very first playoff goal at the best possible moment to win Game Four and send Tampa home. The crowd, roaring. The team, paying tribute at centre ice. Marc Bergevin dancing. The handshakes, with the goodwill hockey players generally show, even in defeat. Jon Cooper telling the media, "This is not the team we saw in the regular season."
No, thank goodness, the team we saw win its opening series was a better, tighter, more exciting team than the one we watched all year. Of course there are questions now about how well the Habs will stand up against a bruising team like Boston, which plays to hurt. Whatever happens, I'll remind myself to soak up all the enjoyment of the moments and remember them, whatever the outcome.
Now, bring on the Bruins!
I think the best thing about the complete satisfaction involved in the Habs first-round win was the fact that every single Canadiens player had a moment worthy of enjoying and remembering. A week later (and what a long week it's been!), I can still picture Tomas Plekanec, lifting Steven Stamkos' stick from behind, clearing the puck away on a potentially dangerous 2-on-1. I see him smiling as a Tampa fan flips him off on the other side of the glass. And I see him taking the team in hand after the Lightning grabbed the momentum with the series' first goal, faking a rookie D out of his shorts and roofing one to bring the Habs back into it, emphatically.
Then there's Rene Bourque. I've written about his resurgence during this post season, and maybe he'll keep it up. Or maybe he won't. Either way, we could certainly savour the sight of him driving the net like a true-blue power forward on every shift. That was so much fun! And Lars Eller, right there with him, feet constantly in motion, relentless on the puck, rewarded by five points in four games, including that laser we'll remember from Game Four.
I enjoyed P.K.Subban taking his own game back in the second match, yelling at J.J.Daigneault behind the bench, then going out there and dominating in a way reminiscent of last year's Norris-calibre style. That was so gratifying, as I've wanted to yell at Daigneault all year. Then, Subban's absolute control on Brendan Gallagher's Game Three goal was a beautiful thing to see. And Andre Markov. Even if Markov didn't (unbelievably) have a point in that series, he was a rock on defence. His clever breakout passes and great positional play gave Alexei Emelin time and space to lay the body, which meant he was able to play his best game. Even Mike Weaver and Francis Bouillon kept their gaffes to a minimum, and I'll remember Weaver's nice clear that led to Brian Gionta's shorty in Game One.
Oh, and Dale Weise and the fourth line were outstanding. Weise turned out to be a speed-demon revelation. Michaël Bournival complemented that speed with his own wheels and a bulldog-like ability to pin the puck in the opposing end, and Daniel Briere proved the mythical "Playoff Briere" actually does exist. It was like discovering the Tooth Fairy riding on Bigfoot's back, distributing leprechaun gold. Briere did all the work on Weise's big game winner in Game One OT, and he scored the all-important opener in Game Four: the one everyone says is the toughest game to win.
Gallagher on Plekanec's wing was a force of nature, as was Gionta in his new home on the third line, with his bold, aggressive penalty killing and opportunistic speed. So many other little moments: Carey Price clearing the puck out on the PK by himself, then robbing Stamkos and Purcell in tight. Briere shaking hands with Ginette Reno after the anthems. Thomas Vanek potting his first playoff goal for Montreal and looking exhilarated about it. David Desharnais breaking the PP slump with the vital opening goal in Game Two. Brandon Prust playing hurt, but busting his butt on the PK anyway. Max Pacioretty, who hit more posts than a carpenter through the series, scoring his very first playoff goal at the best possible moment to win Game Four and send Tampa home. The crowd, roaring. The team, paying tribute at centre ice. Marc Bergevin dancing. The handshakes, with the goodwill hockey players generally show, even in defeat. Jon Cooper telling the media, "This is not the team we saw in the regular season."
No, thank goodness, the team we saw win its opening series was a better, tighter, more exciting team than the one we watched all year. Of course there are questions now about how well the Habs will stand up against a bruising team like Boston, which plays to hurt. Whatever happens, I'll remind myself to soak up all the enjoyment of the moments and remember them, whatever the outcome.
Now, bring on the Bruins!
Monday, April 21, 2014
The Resurrection
If Brendan Gallagher and Travis Moen had gone to the tomb and found the stone rolled back, with the spirits of the Rocket and Doug Harvey standing there in blinding white announcing "He is risen," it would be no more unlikely than the rebirth of Rene Bourque in these playoffs. He proved again on Easter Sunday that there is such a thing as resurrection. Well, at least the resurrection of a hockey career.
Two weeks ago, there wasn't a Habs fan on the planet who wouldn't have seriously considered paying another team to take him away, just to clear up a roster spot. And, the majority opinion wasn't wrong. Bourque sucked this year. With 16 points in 63 games, he recorded the most dismal points total of his NHL career. He alternated from "complete disinterest and invisibility" to "trying, but completely unable to hit any part of the net other than the post." (Seriously, how many posts did Bourque hit this year?!) Given time with every centre on the team other than David Desharnais, he seemed to click with none of them. While he had limited ice time, largely because of his ineffectiveness, he still got over a minute a night on the PP, which didn't seem to motivate him much. No matter what the team tried to do with him, Bourque was deemed by many to be a lost cause. Dead weight in a lineup that needed solid oak on the right wing. When he finally sat for five straight games as a healthy scratch, his career looked ready for Last Rites.
Fast forward to opening night of the playoffs and Bourque wasn't only noticeable, he was effective. Effective. Rene Bourque. Unless in reference to his ability to look pretty in his many shirtless 24CH cameos, those three words weren't used in the same sentence all year. Yet, there he was, on the left side with Brian Gionta and the previously equally-underachieving Lars Eller, and he was unrecognizable as the slug we saw slide his way through the regular season. This Bourque was fast, relentless, strong and skilled. He was a threat whenever he was on the ice, and he gave his line a chance to make a difference on every shift. He was a Super Bourque. In Games Two and Three he was even better, scoring crucial goals and helping Eller and Gionta raise their level of play as well. The line people were hoping would at best be a limited liability has been leading the way.
As the complaining about the where the hell this Bourque has been all year fades, fans are realizing the value of what he's finally bringing now. Before the playoffs, when Jon Cooper was drawing up Tampa's strategy for beating the Habs, you can bet it focused on containing Max Pacioretty, Thomas Vanek and Desharnais. He may have talked about countering Tomas Plekanec's inevitable checking of Steven Stamkos, and about rushing the Habs defence and crashing Carey Price's crease. Few would have predicted that by the end of Game Three, Pacioretty would have no goals and Rene Bourque would have three. Bourque was an afterthought in Cooper's game plan, because he made himself one all year. Now that he's become Super Bourque, Cooper and the Bolts have no answer for him.
This is what teams need to win in the playoffs. A healthy team with good goaltending, motivated players and the surprise awakening of a 6'2" power forward is hard to contain. Bourque is giving opposing defencemen fits because the new, fearless #17 is using his speed to blow by them, and his strength to push through them. Sooner or later, coaches are going to have to assign coverage to his line, which means less attention on Pacioretty and Vanek. And, of course, a guy like Pacioretty isn't going to go goalless forever. It means Cooper has almost run out of time in which to redraw his game plan, as his team survives on life support.
This is the best possible development for the Habs post-season hopes. If two strong lines were dangerous, the resurrection of Bourque gives the Canadiens an outright lethal three scoring lines. The question now, of course, is how long it will stay this way. It's a joy to watch Bourque raise his game from the dead and use his talent to its full extent. With a round-one series still to close out and a date with the Bruins or Wings looming, he'll be needed.
As with all resurrections, though, it's better late than never. And, standing in the bright light of a new day, it's hard to remember just how dark it used to be.
Two weeks ago, there wasn't a Habs fan on the planet who wouldn't have seriously considered paying another team to take him away, just to clear up a roster spot. And, the majority opinion wasn't wrong. Bourque sucked this year. With 16 points in 63 games, he recorded the most dismal points total of his NHL career. He alternated from "complete disinterest and invisibility" to "trying, but completely unable to hit any part of the net other than the post." (Seriously, how many posts did Bourque hit this year?!) Given time with every centre on the team other than David Desharnais, he seemed to click with none of them. While he had limited ice time, largely because of his ineffectiveness, he still got over a minute a night on the PP, which didn't seem to motivate him much. No matter what the team tried to do with him, Bourque was deemed by many to be a lost cause. Dead weight in a lineup that needed solid oak on the right wing. When he finally sat for five straight games as a healthy scratch, his career looked ready for Last Rites.
Fast forward to opening night of the playoffs and Bourque wasn't only noticeable, he was effective. Effective. Rene Bourque. Unless in reference to his ability to look pretty in his many shirtless 24CH cameos, those three words weren't used in the same sentence all year. Yet, there he was, on the left side with Brian Gionta and the previously equally-underachieving Lars Eller, and he was unrecognizable as the slug we saw slide his way through the regular season. This Bourque was fast, relentless, strong and skilled. He was a threat whenever he was on the ice, and he gave his line a chance to make a difference on every shift. He was a Super Bourque. In Games Two and Three he was even better, scoring crucial goals and helping Eller and Gionta raise their level of play as well. The line people were hoping would at best be a limited liability has been leading the way.
As the complaining about the where the hell this Bourque has been all year fades, fans are realizing the value of what he's finally bringing now. Before the playoffs, when Jon Cooper was drawing up Tampa's strategy for beating the Habs, you can bet it focused on containing Max Pacioretty, Thomas Vanek and Desharnais. He may have talked about countering Tomas Plekanec's inevitable checking of Steven Stamkos, and about rushing the Habs defence and crashing Carey Price's crease. Few would have predicted that by the end of Game Three, Pacioretty would have no goals and Rene Bourque would have three. Bourque was an afterthought in Cooper's game plan, because he made himself one all year. Now that he's become Super Bourque, Cooper and the Bolts have no answer for him.
This is what teams need to win in the playoffs. A healthy team with good goaltending, motivated players and the surprise awakening of a 6'2" power forward is hard to contain. Bourque is giving opposing defencemen fits because the new, fearless #17 is using his speed to blow by them, and his strength to push through them. Sooner or later, coaches are going to have to assign coverage to his line, which means less attention on Pacioretty and Vanek. And, of course, a guy like Pacioretty isn't going to go goalless forever. It means Cooper has almost run out of time in which to redraw his game plan, as his team survives on life support.
This is the best possible development for the Habs post-season hopes. If two strong lines were dangerous, the resurrection of Bourque gives the Canadiens an outright lethal three scoring lines. The question now, of course, is how long it will stay this way. It's a joy to watch Bourque raise his game from the dead and use his talent to its full extent. With a round-one series still to close out and a date with the Bruins or Wings looming, he'll be needed.
As with all resurrections, though, it's better late than never. And, standing in the bright light of a new day, it's hard to remember just how dark it used to be.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
A New Approach
There's an old folk song people used to sing at house parties when I was a kid, called "21 Years." It's about a guy who's sentenced to prison for 21 years for some unnamed crime, and it goes, in part like this:
I waited, I trusted, I longed for the day.
I waited, I trusted, I longed for the day.
A life-time so lonely, my hair's turning grey,
My thoughts are for you love, I'm out of my mind,
For twenty-one years, love, is a mighty long time.
I remember lying awake and listening to the adults singing that on a Saturday night, thinking how awful it must be to spend 21 years in the cold and dark. In the decades since, Habs fans have learned exactly how it feels. We have watched the years slip by with very little real expectation of our once-haughty franchise giving us a new reason to brag. And we know now that 21 years is, most certainly, a mighty long time.
In the desert of playoff seasons between the 1993 Cup and today, there have been too many in which the Habs didn't even make the cut. Those futile years don't bear remembering. Even so, the biggest problem for me has always been when the Canadiens do make the post-season. Every year, I do the same thing. I suspend disbelief and I tell myself "anything can happen." It doesn't matter if the team barely scrapes into the playoffs as the eighth seed, or if they're obviously a one-line squad that lives off its power play. I blithely ignore it if a particular edition of the Habs is riddled with injuries, has a terrible coach or depends almost totally on its goalie standing on his head until his face turns purple. I don't care if the team is the smallest in the league. I fall into the same trap every single time. Get to the playoffs, I tell myself, and anything can happen.
I even look for examples to back up my belief. Remember the 1971 Habs, I say. Or the '86 team nobody expected to win. Look at the Kings, winning the Cup just a couple of years ago after qualifying on the last day of the season. I refuse to notice that the 1971 Habs were the intersecting point of two dynasties, that the '86 team had a rock-solid defence and Patrick Roy playing out of his mind, and that the 2012 Kings were a big, strong team with Drew Doughty on the back end, two guys who scored a point-per-game and Jonathan Quick playing incredible hockey. Sure, I say. There's no reason why the Habs can't duplicate that.
Then, inevitably, reality hits. And it hits hard. The Habs who live and die with their power play face a stepped-up defensive effort and collapse. The ones with the terrible coach blow a series lead when the coach takes a stupid bench minor. The ones with all the injuries can't match a healthy opponent. The ones who need the goalie to be perfect can't support him with goals, no matter how well he plays. And the small, skilled team loses out to the big, skilled team it can't control. In the end, all the sparkly faith I invest in them every spring becomes tarnished with bitter disappointment.
So, this year I've decided I won't be fooled again. I'm very happy the Habs have qualified for the playoffs. I'm delighted they've got a chance to clinch home ice this week, but I recognize the team has issues that could be costly.
While the Desharnais/Pacioretty/Vanek line is on fire, the secondary scoring is inconsistent. The penalty kill is strong, but the power play sputters at inconvenient times. Carey Price gives the team a chance every night, but the defence is spotty and sometimes downright porous. The Habs match up well with Tampa on the ice, but Michel Therrien is known to make strange personnel decisions and have trouble with in-game adjustments when things aren't going well. There are a lot of little guys in the Habs' lineup and sometimes they fall prey to indiscipline.
I know these things are true, so I'm going to go into these playoffs with a clear head and a sensible attitude. I will not spend overtime with my head under a pillow because I can't stand the suspense. I won't pace when things are close, or fear if I don't wear a special Habs sweater at least two hours before game time they'll lose. I will not have unreasonable expectations of Carey Price, Tomas Plekanec or P.K.Subban. If Steven Stamkos gets away and scores, as he is wont to do, I will take it philosophically.
Most importantly, I will take the best moments of the playoffs as they come and truly enjoy them instead of pinning all my hopes on an unreasonable big-picture dream. The risk of ignoring the team's flaws is disappointment erasing all the fun of the games themselves. Twenty-one years is a mighty long time, but it's longer when you expect things you can't have and dismiss the things you can. Maybe this is the year the drought will end for Montreal. Perhaps the magic that makes a good goalie great and guides a puck off the post and in the net instead of out will touch the Canadiens this time around. If it doesn't and a good team eventually bows to a better one, I will have enjoyed the journey.
Monday, March 10, 2014
The Placebo Effect
In 1941 Walt Disney Studios released the animated film, Dumbo. In it, a floppy-eared baby elephant turned his biggest flaw into his greatest asset when a friend gave him a magic feather. Dumbo believed the feather would allow him to fly if he held it in his trunk and flapped his over-sized ears. It worked. The belief he could do it was strong enough to make it happen. Today, Dumbo may be the world's most well-known beneficiary of the placebo effect.
In a lab at McGill University in Montreal, Dr.Amir Raz conducts experiments on the human brain. More specifically, he studies the brain's ability to make the body to react, simply because the brain is convinced it should do so. Recently, he invited university students to his lab and told them the purpose of the experiment was to study the effects of alcohol on brain activity. He had a bartender prepare several mixed drinks for each participant, complete with ice, straws and fruit slices, then scanned their brains as they drank. The scans showed a fairly low level of brain activity at the beginning of the test, but as the students drank more, that activity began to light up the screen. Their brains were processing the idea that they were consuming several alcoholic drinks, and told their bodies to react accordingly. After four drinks, the students were slurring their speech, having difficulty walking a straight line and giggling. At that point, Dr.Raz sat them down and questioned them about the way they felt. The students said they felt a bit dizzy and happy. They looked and acted drunk.
Then, Dr.Raz told the students the drinks had contained only water. The participants' resposes were remarkable. The minute they processed the new information, their drunk symptoms disappeared and they seemed a bit bewildered that they'd felt that way without consuming any alcohol. The experiment confirmed Dr.Raz's theory that the brain, given the right stimuli...even a false belief...will convince the body to produce the appropriate behaviour. He's not the only one discovering similar results about the power of the brain.
At Harvard University, Dr.Ted Kaptchuk heads up the Placebo Studies program in the school of medicine. He recently tested 270 people dealing with chronic arm pain. He gave half the patients pain-reducing pills, and the other half had acupuncture treatments. He warned them they could experience possible side effects.Within days, some of the patients were calling in to say the pills stole all their energy away, and the needles caused swelling and pain at the injection sites, just as they'd been told might happen. The majority of the subjects, however, called in to say the treatments were working and their pain was either reduced or cured. Both reactions were amazing because the pills were made of nothing but corn starch, and the needles were retractable and never actually punctured the skin. Still, there was no denying the redness and swelling at the alleged injection sites in those who expected side effects and whose brains then produced them. And there was no medical explanation for those who felt better after the fake treatments.
This powerful placebo effect, which many scientists like Raz and Kaptchuk are studying right now, could have significant applications in the world of sports. Researchers first began to consider the idea in the 1970s, with a study of superstition in sport. They discovered some of the best performers in high level athletics were those who firmly believed a particular t-shirt worn underneath a jersey, or a particular game-day routine was essential to how they fared on the court or field. Those results were a curiosity, but not considered a usable strategy for athletes or coaches. In recent years, however, examination of the placebo effect in elite sport performance is really taking off.
In 2011, Hungarian scientists conducted an interesting study of high-level athletes. They gave some of the group small pills and others larger pills the athletes were told would improve their performance (legally.) Those who took the large pills saw a measurably greater improvement in performance than those who'd taken smaller pills. In another experiment, the researchers gave part of the group a green drink and others a red drink, also supposed to be performance boosters. The group who took the green drink did better.
An interesting note in the Hungarian study is the athletes were from various sports, and they were measured against their own previous results. Those who participated in strength-based activities like weight-lifting saw a more marked improvement in performance than those in endurance activities like long-distance running, which would seem to indicate a reduction in the power of the placebo effect over time. In subsequent tests, without the pills or sports drinks, the results weren't as good in either group.
Also part of this study were medical reports from coaches and doctors. Some athletes were told their bodies were in phenomenal shape and they should be able to achieve a particular result. Others were told their oxygen levels were lower than usual. In more than half the cases, the athletes responded exactly as they would be expected to, if the medical reports were real. (They weren't, of course.) Nine out of 12 cyclists studied showed dramatic improvement when told they were in top shape.
In the NHL's age of parity, any advantage a team can muster should be used to gain an edge. Considering the proven power of the placebo effect, it could conceivably make the difference between a close win or a loss. Take the Canadiens, for example: The same group of players can perform like world beaters in shutting down the Cup-champion Blackhawks one night, then look like an outclassed Junior B squad in getting owned by the struggling Capitals a week later, as they did back in January. The question that drives everyone nuts is why consistency is such a hard standard to achieve.
Some will point to health, scheduling, motivation and intangibles like chemistry between players. All of those things certainly play a role in how a team performs, but since science is proving their actual belief in whether they can win could play a significant part as well, teams need to pay more attention to it. If Lars Eller can take a pill or a green drink he thinks will improve his ability to find the net, the Habs need to give it to him. If Rene Bourque can swallow a gel he believes will increase his energy level, bring it on.
The regular NHL season is a long grind, and even a placebo effect might not work every night. The playoffs, though, are different. That's when words like "belief," "magic," and "intensity" are flying around and players are more inclined to believe in anything they think will push them ahead of their opponent. Back in 1993, the Habs lost their first two games against the Nordiques and hope was waning. Coach Jacques Demers told the players he didn't think they'd come back...he knew it. Something in that speech spoke to athletes who wanted a reason to believe they would win, and they did.
The Canadiens today are a middle-of-the-road team with some good pieces and a lot of deadwood. They aren't contenders on paper, but sometimes all it takes is a good friend with a feather to make you believe you can fly. If they can harness the placebo effect and turn it to their benefit, you never know what might happen. Science says a little belief can go a long way.
In a lab at McGill University in Montreal, Dr.Amir Raz conducts experiments on the human brain. More specifically, he studies the brain's ability to make the body to react, simply because the brain is convinced it should do so. Recently, he invited university students to his lab and told them the purpose of the experiment was to study the effects of alcohol on brain activity. He had a bartender prepare several mixed drinks for each participant, complete with ice, straws and fruit slices, then scanned their brains as they drank. The scans showed a fairly low level of brain activity at the beginning of the test, but as the students drank more, that activity began to light up the screen. Their brains were processing the idea that they were consuming several alcoholic drinks, and told their bodies to react accordingly. After four drinks, the students were slurring their speech, having difficulty walking a straight line and giggling. At that point, Dr.Raz sat them down and questioned them about the way they felt. The students said they felt a bit dizzy and happy. They looked and acted drunk.
Then, Dr.Raz told the students the drinks had contained only water. The participants' resposes were remarkable. The minute they processed the new information, their drunk symptoms disappeared and they seemed a bit bewildered that they'd felt that way without consuming any alcohol. The experiment confirmed Dr.Raz's theory that the brain, given the right stimuli...even a false belief...will convince the body to produce the appropriate behaviour. He's not the only one discovering similar results about the power of the brain.
At Harvard University, Dr.Ted Kaptchuk heads up the Placebo Studies program in the school of medicine. He recently tested 270 people dealing with chronic arm pain. He gave half the patients pain-reducing pills, and the other half had acupuncture treatments. He warned them they could experience possible side effects.Within days, some of the patients were calling in to say the pills stole all their energy away, and the needles caused swelling and pain at the injection sites, just as they'd been told might happen. The majority of the subjects, however, called in to say the treatments were working and their pain was either reduced or cured. Both reactions were amazing because the pills were made of nothing but corn starch, and the needles were retractable and never actually punctured the skin. Still, there was no denying the redness and swelling at the alleged injection sites in those who expected side effects and whose brains then produced them. And there was no medical explanation for those who felt better after the fake treatments.
This powerful placebo effect, which many scientists like Raz and Kaptchuk are studying right now, could have significant applications in the world of sports. Researchers first began to consider the idea in the 1970s, with a study of superstition in sport. They discovered some of the best performers in high level athletics were those who firmly believed a particular t-shirt worn underneath a jersey, or a particular game-day routine was essential to how they fared on the court or field. Those results were a curiosity, but not considered a usable strategy for athletes or coaches. In recent years, however, examination of the placebo effect in elite sport performance is really taking off.
In 2011, Hungarian scientists conducted an interesting study of high-level athletes. They gave some of the group small pills and others larger pills the athletes were told would improve their performance (legally.) Those who took the large pills saw a measurably greater improvement in performance than those who'd taken smaller pills. In another experiment, the researchers gave part of the group a green drink and others a red drink, also supposed to be performance boosters. The group who took the green drink did better.
An interesting note in the Hungarian study is the athletes were from various sports, and they were measured against their own previous results. Those who participated in strength-based activities like weight-lifting saw a more marked improvement in performance than those in endurance activities like long-distance running, which would seem to indicate a reduction in the power of the placebo effect over time. In subsequent tests, without the pills or sports drinks, the results weren't as good in either group.
Also part of this study were medical reports from coaches and doctors. Some athletes were told their bodies were in phenomenal shape and they should be able to achieve a particular result. Others were told their oxygen levels were lower than usual. In more than half the cases, the athletes responded exactly as they would be expected to, if the medical reports were real. (They weren't, of course.) Nine out of 12 cyclists studied showed dramatic improvement when told they were in top shape.
In the NHL's age of parity, any advantage a team can muster should be used to gain an edge. Considering the proven power of the placebo effect, it could conceivably make the difference between a close win or a loss. Take the Canadiens, for example: The same group of players can perform like world beaters in shutting down the Cup-champion Blackhawks one night, then look like an outclassed Junior B squad in getting owned by the struggling Capitals a week later, as they did back in January. The question that drives everyone nuts is why consistency is such a hard standard to achieve.
Some will point to health, scheduling, motivation and intangibles like chemistry between players. All of those things certainly play a role in how a team performs, but since science is proving their actual belief in whether they can win could play a significant part as well, teams need to pay more attention to it. If Lars Eller can take a pill or a green drink he thinks will improve his ability to find the net, the Habs need to give it to him. If Rene Bourque can swallow a gel he believes will increase his energy level, bring it on.
The regular NHL season is a long grind, and even a placebo effect might not work every night. The playoffs, though, are different. That's when words like "belief," "magic," and "intensity" are flying around and players are more inclined to believe in anything they think will push them ahead of their opponent. Back in 1993, the Habs lost their first two games against the Nordiques and hope was waning. Coach Jacques Demers told the players he didn't think they'd come back...he knew it. Something in that speech spoke to athletes who wanted a reason to believe they would win, and they did.
The Canadiens today are a middle-of-the-road team with some good pieces and a lot of deadwood. They aren't contenders on paper, but sometimes all it takes is a good friend with a feather to make you believe you can fly. If they can harness the placebo effect and turn it to their benefit, you never know what might happen. Science says a little belief can go a long way.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Resigned to Re-Sign
The Scene: Marc Bergevin's dream. Amidst the scrum of beautiful women showing him samples of designer suits and hair gel, Bergevin hears the voice of The Almighty.
God: Marc! Marc Bergevin! Hear My voice!
Bergevin: Stan Bowman! Is that you?
God: It is I! The Almighty Creator. Father of the Universe.
Bergevin: Scotty?!
God: (impatiently) It's God, you heathen!
Bergevin: Of course! Sorry. I'm so sorry, Lord.
God: That's better. Now, I have a bone to pick with you.
Bergevin: What's the matter, Lord?
God: I have given you dominion over My holy and chosen team. Yet, I am swamped by prayers from Canadiens fans begging for help. Do you have ANY idea how many Canadiens fans there are, and how much they pray?! Sheesh!
Bergevin: But, Lord, I've been doing my best. I'm trying to build through the draft and not make any major moves until our young guys are ready to contend. That's what I'm supposed to be doing, for Your sake!
God: Yeah, yeah. That's fine if you're LA or St.Louis. You're the Canadiens, Me help Me. Your fans are nuts and they're getting on My last nerve. It's time to make a move and get them off My back.
Bergevin: But, Lord...
God: You don't have to do anything, Marc. Just listen: You shall find your salvation in snow.
Bergevin: (hesitantly) Um...do I have to dig somewhere? Or follow footprints in the snow? Or...
God: (exasperated) Do I have to spell it out?! You will find salvation in Snow. Garth Snow.
Bergevin: Really? That dummy? He's an old goalie, You know.
God: Of course I know. Now, this is what will happen: On trade deadline day, you will call Snow and you will offer him Sebastian Collberg and a conditional second-round pick for Thomas Vanek.
Bergevin: Wha...hahahahahahahahahahahaha! (gasps for breath) Lord...you can't be serious...
God: I am ALWAYS serious. Except when I go to Tommy Tiernan concerts. Then I just laugh all night. Anyway...you will call Snow. The most important part is, you must call him at exactly 2:58 on deadline day.
Bergevin: But, Lord, that's too late to get a trade through.
God: You need only to call, and Vanek shall be yours. Do you trust the Lord, your God?
Bergevin: Yes, Lord. But, can I have Tavares instead?
God: Don't push your luck, pretty boy.
The Scene: Habs dressing room, the day after Marc Bergevin traded for Thomas Vanek in deadline day high drama.
Bergevin: Okay, guys. I want you to know I believe in you. This is why I have brought Thomas Vanek into our family. My work is done for now. It's up to you guys to take the next step. I have a plan, and you need to be part of it. Vanek is a Canadien, but you have to help him want to stay in Montreal. Everyone in this room has to play a part.
Brian Gionta: What do you want me to do, Marc? As captain, I'll do whatever I can to help the team.
Bergevin: Thanks, Gio. Well, you can give up your spot on Pleky's line. Thomas will need a creative centreman to play with.
Tomas Plekanec: Ano! Děkuji ti, Bože. Slyšel jsi mé modlitby. Nevěřil jsem, že předtím, ale teď jsem to!
Gionta: Sorry, Pleky?
Plekanec: Oh, uh...I said, "Damn it...I've been having great success with Gio."
Gionta: But I didn't hear my name.
Plekanec: Ah...in Czech, your name sounds like "Bože."
God: Pleky, you're pushing it.
Gionta: Oh, okay. I'll miss playing with Pleky, but I'll do what I can.
Josh Gorges: LET'S GO RED! LET'S GO RED!
Bergevin: Thanks, Josh. We want you to give up your number and let Thomas have it. It's a warm gesture of welcome because it's the only number he's ever worn.
Gorges: But...that's my number. I've worn it since I came to Montreal. I feel a bit...entitled to it.
Bergevin: LET'S GO RED!
Gorges: LET'S GO RED, LET'S GO RED! GIVE THE NEW GUY MY NUMBER!
Bergevin: Thanks, Josh. Now, Carey. You're the one Thomas said he was most impressed with when he found out he was traded. Your job is to...do your job.
Carey Price: If this guy can actually give me some goal support, I'll carry his hockey bag. Seriously, finding a goal on this team has been like finding water on Mars.
Bergevin: (clears throat) Thanks, Pricey. Okay. I want Prusty and P.K. to show the guy the town. I want Boods to speak to him in Slovakian...remind him of his dad. I want anyone with a stylish wife to wine and dine Mrs.Vanek. We have to work together on this.
Markov: Where is all the money to come from, to sign all the players you want?
Bergevin: Well, Marky, we'll talk. Right now, it's about Thomas.
Markov: (looks up agents' numbers on his phone) Okay, Marc. Excuse me, I have to make a quick call.
Bergevin: George? You took economics in college, right?
George Parros: Yeah?
Bergevin: Great. Your job is to tell Vanek taxes in Montreal are great. Danny? You played with Thomas in Buffalo. Tell him about how we're a big, cultural family and don't say anything about your time on the fourth line. Lars? Take him skiing. All you guys have a job to do. We want to win, and this guy can help us do it.
Michel Therrien: Yeah! Great speech! What can I do, Marc? How can I help keep this guy?
Bergevin: Well, Mike...you can just...shut up. Don't give any speeches. Don't tell the guy he needs to be more defensive. Don't put him on the third line if he costs an O-zone penalty. Just shut up. The less he sees of you, the better.
Therrien: But, I'm the coach...how am I supposed to do my job if I can't talk to him?
Bergevin: He can do his job. Just give him a playmaking centre, and you have no worries.
Thomas Vanek enters the rooom:
Therrien: Welcome, Thomas. Now...let's find a place for you...
Bergevin: (shoots Therrien the evil eye) Have you met Michel? Good luck, and we hope you love Montreal.
Gorges: LET'S GO RED!
Vanek: Okay, here we go.
God: Marc! Marc Bergevin! Hear My voice!
Bergevin: Stan Bowman! Is that you?
God: It is I! The Almighty Creator. Father of the Universe.
Bergevin: Scotty?!
God: (impatiently) It's God, you heathen!
Bergevin: Of course! Sorry. I'm so sorry, Lord.
God: That's better. Now, I have a bone to pick with you.
Bergevin: What's the matter, Lord?
God: I have given you dominion over My holy and chosen team. Yet, I am swamped by prayers from Canadiens fans begging for help. Do you have ANY idea how many Canadiens fans there are, and how much they pray?! Sheesh!
Bergevin: But, Lord, I've been doing my best. I'm trying to build through the draft and not make any major moves until our young guys are ready to contend. That's what I'm supposed to be doing, for Your sake!
God: Yeah, yeah. That's fine if you're LA or St.Louis. You're the Canadiens, Me help Me. Your fans are nuts and they're getting on My last nerve. It's time to make a move and get them off My back.
Bergevin: But, Lord...
God: You don't have to do anything, Marc. Just listen: You shall find your salvation in snow.
Bergevin: (hesitantly) Um...do I have to dig somewhere? Or follow footprints in the snow? Or...
God: (exasperated) Do I have to spell it out?! You will find salvation in Snow. Garth Snow.
Bergevin: Really? That dummy? He's an old goalie, You know.
God: Of course I know. Now, this is what will happen: On trade deadline day, you will call Snow and you will offer him Sebastian Collberg and a conditional second-round pick for Thomas Vanek.
Bergevin: Wha...hahahahahahahahahahahaha! (gasps for breath) Lord...you can't be serious...
God: I am ALWAYS serious. Except when I go to Tommy Tiernan concerts. Then I just laugh all night. Anyway...you will call Snow. The most important part is, you must call him at exactly 2:58 on deadline day.
Bergevin: But, Lord, that's too late to get a trade through.
God: You need only to call, and Vanek shall be yours. Do you trust the Lord, your God?
Bergevin: Yes, Lord. But, can I have Tavares instead?
God: Don't push your luck, pretty boy.
The Scene: Habs dressing room, the day after Marc Bergevin traded for Thomas Vanek in deadline day high drama.
Bergevin: Okay, guys. I want you to know I believe in you. This is why I have brought Thomas Vanek into our family. My work is done for now. It's up to you guys to take the next step. I have a plan, and you need to be part of it. Vanek is a Canadien, but you have to help him want to stay in Montreal. Everyone in this room has to play a part.
Brian Gionta: What do you want me to do, Marc? As captain, I'll do whatever I can to help the team.
Bergevin: Thanks, Gio. Well, you can give up your spot on Pleky's line. Thomas will need a creative centreman to play with.
Tomas Plekanec: Ano! Děkuji ti, Bože. Slyšel jsi mé modlitby. Nevěřil jsem, že předtím, ale teď jsem to!
Gionta: Sorry, Pleky?
Plekanec: Oh, uh...I said, "Damn it...I've been having great success with Gio."
Gionta: But I didn't hear my name.
Plekanec: Ah...in Czech, your name sounds like "Bože."
God: Pleky, you're pushing it.
Gionta: Oh, okay. I'll miss playing with Pleky, but I'll do what I can.
Josh Gorges: LET'S GO RED! LET'S GO RED!
Bergevin: Thanks, Josh. We want you to give up your number and let Thomas have it. It's a warm gesture of welcome because it's the only number he's ever worn.
Gorges: But...that's my number. I've worn it since I came to Montreal. I feel a bit...entitled to it.
Bergevin: LET'S GO RED!
Gorges: LET'S GO RED, LET'S GO RED! GIVE THE NEW GUY MY NUMBER!
Bergevin: Thanks, Josh. Now, Carey. You're the one Thomas said he was most impressed with when he found out he was traded. Your job is to...do your job.
Carey Price: If this guy can actually give me some goal support, I'll carry his hockey bag. Seriously, finding a goal on this team has been like finding water on Mars.
Bergevin: (clears throat) Thanks, Pricey. Okay. I want Prusty and P.K. to show the guy the town. I want Boods to speak to him in Slovakian...remind him of his dad. I want anyone with a stylish wife to wine and dine Mrs.Vanek. We have to work together on this.
Markov: Where is all the money to come from, to sign all the players you want?
Bergevin: Well, Marky, we'll talk. Right now, it's about Thomas.
Markov: (looks up agents' numbers on his phone) Okay, Marc. Excuse me, I have to make a quick call.
Bergevin: George? You took economics in college, right?
George Parros: Yeah?
Bergevin: Great. Your job is to tell Vanek taxes in Montreal are great. Danny? You played with Thomas in Buffalo. Tell him about how we're a big, cultural family and don't say anything about your time on the fourth line. Lars? Take him skiing. All you guys have a job to do. We want to win, and this guy can help us do it.
Michel Therrien: Yeah! Great speech! What can I do, Marc? How can I help keep this guy?
Bergevin: Well, Mike...you can just...shut up. Don't give any speeches. Don't tell the guy he needs to be more defensive. Don't put him on the third line if he costs an O-zone penalty. Just shut up. The less he sees of you, the better.
Therrien: But, I'm the coach...how am I supposed to do my job if I can't talk to him?
Bergevin: He can do his job. Just give him a playmaking centre, and you have no worries.
Thomas Vanek enters the rooom:
Therrien: Welcome, Thomas. Now...let's find a place for you...
Bergevin: (shoots Therrien the evil eye) Have you met Michel? Good luck, and we hope you love Montreal.
Gorges: LET'S GO RED!
Vanek: Okay, here we go.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
The Captain's "C"
There are many things we know about Brian Gionta. First, he's achieved more in hockey than his size would have allowed without a tremendous will to back it up. We know he's got blazing speed and enviable hand-eye coordination. He takes whatever physical punishment he must as he screens the opposing goalie, which demonstrates courage. He rehabbed a pair of bizarre injuries at a time in his career when it might have felt easier to pack it in, which shows perseverance. We know he's been a well-liked and respectful captain of the Canadiens. And we also know there's a good chance he won't be back in Montreal next year.
His is the last big contract left from the Gainey/Gauthier 2009 housecleaning that gutted an underachieving roster and restocked it with expensive free agents. In his time in Montreal, Gionta has mostly earned that money. He recorded two of his best three career goalscoring seasons during this contract and, in the magical 2010 playoff run, he put up 15 points over 19 games in his first year as captain. Unfortunately, at age 35 and with a couple of rebuilt bicep tendons, the goalscoring touch that has always been his bread-and-butter seems to be deserting him.
When Gionta isn't scoring goals, he's admittedly still a smart defensive player who's developed a new value as a penalty killer. The problem is, low-scoring penalty killers are available in models both younger and cheaper than Gionta. And, considering the current construction of the Canadiens lineup, they come in bigger sizes too. Aside from his age and the inevitable decline in his skills, Gionta has the misfortune of being part of a lineup that also includes three other forwards who are 5'9" or smaller. David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher are still producing points. Daniel Briere has another year on his contract and is untradable. Therefore, if the Canadiens are to get bigger and younger on the wing, something's got to give and Gionta's contract is up.
Assuming Gionta's not back, the Canadiens have two choices when it comes to the captaincy. First, they could leave it empty like they did in the wake of Saku Koivu's departure. Second, they could name a current member of the team to the post. If they choose the second option however, the candidates are limited.
A captain in the NHL must be someone with experience in the league. He should be someone with an unquestioned work ethic and someone with enough skill to command respect in the room. He has to be an adaptable personality who can get along with as many of his teammates as possible, and a good communicator who can translate the coach's messages to the room and player's feelings to the coach. Most importantly, he should be a leader who knows when to rouse the room and when to glare, when to call a team meeting, when to yell and when to have fun. He should be the face of the team and the guy his teammates can approach when they have a problem or a question. It's a big job.
Among current Canadiens, the experience criterion is fulfilled in Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, Josh Gorges, Carey Price, Daniel Briere, Travis Moen and Brandon Prust. Of those guys, Markov didn't want the "C" last time it became available, so he's probably not heading to the front of the line this time around. Briere is a first-year Canadien who spends most of his time on the fourth line and isn't producing what he contract says he should, so he's not a realistic candidate. Prust is certainly a heart-and-soul kind of player, but his reckless style of play leaves him on the injured list more often than most. Also, there aren't many grinders who become their team's captain. Ditto for Travis Moen.
Tomas Plekanec has seniority, he's the best two-way player on the team, he works hard every time he's on the ice and seems to get along with his teammates. He's also well-known to be a quiet guy who doesn't say much and chooses to lead by example. That's fine for a veteran, but whether he's comfortable with the inevitable times a captain must rip his teammates a new one is debatable. His national team believed he was the right choice for captain at the Sochi Olympics, but it's a different matter to captain a tournament than it is to captain a pro team through an 82-game grind plus playoffs. Maybe he'd have no problem yelling at a slacker who needs it, but it's hard to imagine.
Josh Gorges has no problem talking in the room. Anyone who's seen 24CH has seen him earnestly telling his teammates to finish their checks and not get beat on the wall. Anyone who's seen this has also probably rolled their eyes or laughed. Gorges has heart, no doubt about it. And he's got a tremendous will to win. He agreed to let a rookie share his home for two seasons, which is the kind of thing leaders do. He's also a guy who, like a too-serious coach, is easy to tune out when he says the same things every night and his on-ice performance is too mistake-prone for better players to respect.
Carey Price might be the best choice for captain, if he weren't the goalie. He fits the bill in every other way. He's got the experience, he's got the respect due the best player on the ice, he busts his butt to make sure he's always at the top of his game, he's funny and articulate, but he's got the kind of temper that can make guys who aren't pulling their weight cringe. He's the only guy on the team right now who can give a slacking teammate "The Look" and make it stick. He'd be the perfect captain...but, he's the goalie. Once, that wasn't a big deal. Bill Durnan was Habs captain, and managed to put together a Hall-of-Fame career at the same time. Now, though, captains are expected to give more of their personal time at appearances and charity events. For a player like Price, who likes his privacy, that's not an appetizing trade-off. The Canucks tried to go back to having a goalie as captain with Roberto Luongo, but the appointment lasted only two years before he stepped down, citing the need to focus exclusively on goaltending. With that in mind, it's unlikely Price would either be asked to take, or accept, the captaincy in Montreal.
Other potential captains in Brendan Gallagher or P.K.Subban don't have the experience to be convincing in the role. In three years, either of them could take the "C," but not now. So, if Plekanec or Gorges aren't suitable captains for whatever reason they or management might have, and, assuming Marc Bergevin doesn't bring in the second coming of Mark Messier this summer, the team might be better off with leadership by committee. The question is whether a team is better off with no set leader than with one not quite cut out for the job.
In Montreal, if Brian Gionta is finishing his last year as a Canadien, the answer is, yes...no captain is better than the wrong captain. We know a lot about Brian Gionta. We just don't know who will be perfectly suited to fill the hole he'll leave when he goes.
His is the last big contract left from the Gainey/Gauthier 2009 housecleaning that gutted an underachieving roster and restocked it with expensive free agents. In his time in Montreal, Gionta has mostly earned that money. He recorded two of his best three career goalscoring seasons during this contract and, in the magical 2010 playoff run, he put up 15 points over 19 games in his first year as captain. Unfortunately, at age 35 and with a couple of rebuilt bicep tendons, the goalscoring touch that has always been his bread-and-butter seems to be deserting him.
When Gionta isn't scoring goals, he's admittedly still a smart defensive player who's developed a new value as a penalty killer. The problem is, low-scoring penalty killers are available in models both younger and cheaper than Gionta. And, considering the current construction of the Canadiens lineup, they come in bigger sizes too. Aside from his age and the inevitable decline in his skills, Gionta has the misfortune of being part of a lineup that also includes three other forwards who are 5'9" or smaller. David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher are still producing points. Daniel Briere has another year on his contract and is untradable. Therefore, if the Canadiens are to get bigger and younger on the wing, something's got to give and Gionta's contract is up.
Assuming Gionta's not back, the Canadiens have two choices when it comes to the captaincy. First, they could leave it empty like they did in the wake of Saku Koivu's departure. Second, they could name a current member of the team to the post. If they choose the second option however, the candidates are limited.
A captain in the NHL must be someone with experience in the league. He should be someone with an unquestioned work ethic and someone with enough skill to command respect in the room. He has to be an adaptable personality who can get along with as many of his teammates as possible, and a good communicator who can translate the coach's messages to the room and player's feelings to the coach. Most importantly, he should be a leader who knows when to rouse the room and when to glare, when to call a team meeting, when to yell and when to have fun. He should be the face of the team and the guy his teammates can approach when they have a problem or a question. It's a big job.
Among current Canadiens, the experience criterion is fulfilled in Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, Josh Gorges, Carey Price, Daniel Briere, Travis Moen and Brandon Prust. Of those guys, Markov didn't want the "C" last time it became available, so he's probably not heading to the front of the line this time around. Briere is a first-year Canadien who spends most of his time on the fourth line and isn't producing what he contract says he should, so he's not a realistic candidate. Prust is certainly a heart-and-soul kind of player, but his reckless style of play leaves him on the injured list more often than most. Also, there aren't many grinders who become their team's captain. Ditto for Travis Moen.
Tomas Plekanec has seniority, he's the best two-way player on the team, he works hard every time he's on the ice and seems to get along with his teammates. He's also well-known to be a quiet guy who doesn't say much and chooses to lead by example. That's fine for a veteran, but whether he's comfortable with the inevitable times a captain must rip his teammates a new one is debatable. His national team believed he was the right choice for captain at the Sochi Olympics, but it's a different matter to captain a tournament than it is to captain a pro team through an 82-game grind plus playoffs. Maybe he'd have no problem yelling at a slacker who needs it, but it's hard to imagine.
Josh Gorges has no problem talking in the room. Anyone who's seen 24CH has seen him earnestly telling his teammates to finish their checks and not get beat on the wall. Anyone who's seen this has also probably rolled their eyes or laughed. Gorges has heart, no doubt about it. And he's got a tremendous will to win. He agreed to let a rookie share his home for two seasons, which is the kind of thing leaders do. He's also a guy who, like a too-serious coach, is easy to tune out when he says the same things every night and his on-ice performance is too mistake-prone for better players to respect.
Carey Price might be the best choice for captain, if he weren't the goalie. He fits the bill in every other way. He's got the experience, he's got the respect due the best player on the ice, he busts his butt to make sure he's always at the top of his game, he's funny and articulate, but he's got the kind of temper that can make guys who aren't pulling their weight cringe. He's the only guy on the team right now who can give a slacking teammate "The Look" and make it stick. He'd be the perfect captain...but, he's the goalie. Once, that wasn't a big deal. Bill Durnan was Habs captain, and managed to put together a Hall-of-Fame career at the same time. Now, though, captains are expected to give more of their personal time at appearances and charity events. For a player like Price, who likes his privacy, that's not an appetizing trade-off. The Canucks tried to go back to having a goalie as captain with Roberto Luongo, but the appointment lasted only two years before he stepped down, citing the need to focus exclusively on goaltending. With that in mind, it's unlikely Price would either be asked to take, or accept, the captaincy in Montreal.
Other potential captains in Brendan Gallagher or P.K.Subban don't have the experience to be convincing in the role. In three years, either of them could take the "C," but not now. So, if Plekanec or Gorges aren't suitable captains for whatever reason they or management might have, and, assuming Marc Bergevin doesn't bring in the second coming of Mark Messier this summer, the team might be better off with leadership by committee. The question is whether a team is better off with no set leader than with one not quite cut out for the job.
In Montreal, if Brian Gionta is finishing his last year as a Canadien, the answer is, yes...no captain is better than the wrong captain. We know a lot about Brian Gionta. We just don't know who will be perfectly suited to fill the hole he'll leave when he goes.
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