This is the End, Beautiful Friend...

Habs host the Leafs tonight at the Bell Centre for the final game of the regular season.

Normally this would be a supercharged game.

Normally the Habs would be playing for playoff position, while the Leafs would come in and play spoiler.

Neither applies this year.

The Habs are assured a third-worst in the league this year and could even finish second-worst if they lose in regulation and the Oilers beat the Canucks tonight. I wouldn't mind.

If the Leafs can beat the Habs, they'll also finish out of a lottery pick. I wouldn't mind that either.

This has been a tough, rough, difficult sh%t show of a year for the Montreal Canadiens.

Not fun for the fans, not fun for the team's revolving coaching staff, not fun for the players or the media.

Back in January when I officially gave up on the team and began preaching for losses in order to get one of those coveted draft lottery picks, I was just trying to make the best of a difficult situation.

And as we near the start of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, my disgust in the year's results grows. Watching the playoffs just isn't the same without the Habs. Sure I'll watch the playoffs and even root along for some teams, especially whoever plays against the Bruins.

Jean Beliveau with the Stanley Cup. Who will be the next captain to raise the cup for the Habs!? It probably won't be Brian Gionta.

But it won't have that same heart-thumping-against-my-chest energy and excitement that only having an emotional attachment provides. I love that feeling, when the Habs are up or down by a goal late, every play scutinized, uncer the microscope, when it's all on the line.

Well, here it comes: "There's always next year."

Team President Geoff Molson has been lauded by the press by firing Mr. Gauthier when he did, giving fans and players alike hope, while saying what we all so desperately needed to hear: that failure is not an option.

So as they sort out the GM and Head Coach issues, I will focus on Tuesday night's draft lottery, because it's always fun to dream. Hey the Habs have a shot at the number one pick overall! Probably not going to happen, but it'd be nice. And even if they don't get it, a 2nd or 3rd pick will be nice too.

Will the Habs finally get that elusive big centre who can put the puck into the net with consistency?

Will the Habs finally get that goal scoring superstar, the type of player the team hasn't seen since Guy Lafleur????

I hope so :)

So ultimately I'm taking away all I can that's positive this season, that the Habs will put the kind of management / coaching staff in place to succeed; that they'll get a top pick who can make an impact very soon; and that the team needs to learn how to lose, before they learn how to win. Throw in both Cole and Paccioretty reaching the 30 goal plateau, and I'll say I'm happy... for now.

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Baseball bat click of the cleats out to CRO!!! That's right, Warren Cromartie former Expo and famous gap-toothed grinner. Yes after the outpouring of emotion with Gary Carter's death in February, baseball is being resuscitated in Montreal with the MONTREAL BASEBALL PROJECT. Cromartie was in Montreal recently speaking of the group's plans to put action into reality and get pro baseball back in Montreal, whether it's the MLB or what. Gotta start somewhere, so they're holding a rally in June and a golf outing with the '81 Division Champs team. Man I'm going to be unavailable that weekend, but hope lots of people go!! More on this in the coming weeks.

Thee Axen Hath Fallen

Not much of a surprise, really.

Except we would have guessed that heads would have rolled upon season's end.

No matter. The important thing is, it's done.

Pierre Gauthier was shown the door today by Geoff Molson, bringing this annus horribilis to an end.

It hasn't been all bad, mind you: Pacioretty, Cole and Desharnais' collective success; Leblanc looking like he belongs; Eller's 4 goal game and evolution; me meeting Riva. But I digress...

So the line goes, Gauthier was fired, Gainey stepped aside. Makes sense.

And thus the Gillette-Gainey-Gauthier era officially comes to an end.

I like Bob Gainey, loved him as a player and I'm not going to bad mouth him. He made mistakes but who doesn't?? For me, though the Gomez deal looms quite large, his biggest was letting Marc Streit go.

But Gainey's big blowup in 09-10, where he brought in Gomez, Cammalleri and Gionta among others, resulted in the team reaching the conference finals. It's just too bad they couldn't build from there and take it to the next level.

Instead, Perry Pearn -- gone. Jacques Martin -- gone. Playoff heros Halak and Cammalleri -- goom bye! Andrei K? See ya!!

But it must be remembered, Bob Gainey inherited an absolute horror show from former GM Rejean Houle, who set the franchise back years.

So Geoff Molson begins to put his stamp on the Montreal Canadiens and looking to proven veterans for help in the guise of Serge Savard. Smart move. Gee, if they do hire Patrick Roy as head coach, it'll be just like that episode in "Dallas" when Pamela wakes up to find Bobby in the shower: "It was all a dream." It will be as if everything since '93 never happened!!!

So now we wait to see who gets the job. The line on the street is that Julien Brisebois will get it, but we'll see what happens. The question of who will attend the NHL draft lottery in Toronto is yet to be answered.

And the fact that I chose to discuss Gainey rather than Gauthier says it all...

In the end, when the off-ice activities are more entertaining than the on-ice play, you know we have a problem.

The road to salvation may be long and hard, but at least we're on our way.