Bruins Foes Gone Bowlin'

After Boston's 5-2 loss to San Jose last night, I figured the Bruins Nation could use a smile its face...

It's no secret that the Montreal Canadiens haven't been able to buy a goal or a win lately. Though they rank fifth in the Eastern Conference, the Habs are 2-8-0 in their last ten games.

To make matters worse, they're only five points ahead of ninth-place Carolina Hurricanes. If the Habs continue to drop games, they could see themselves out of a playoff spot as early as the trade deadline.

The Habs haven't just been losing games, either -- they've been getting blown out of the water in some instances. Their latest lost came against Calgary Flames by a score of 6-2. And last week, they lost to the lowly Maple Leafs 5-2.

How does a coach fix subpar goaltending, laughable offense, and invisible defense? Guy Carbonneau has the answer.

To hell with practice! If a team of "all stars" can't find its groove, take the players bowling.

Instead of skating hard, instead of practicing drill after drill, instead of having individual management-to-player conferences, Montreal players grasped some balls and struck pins yesterday.

Sources say the pins were the first things the Habs hit all season. Alex Kovalev's wrist started to lock up after a few rounds, but he returned later.

The fiasco reminds me of the time Coach Dave Lewis let the boys play basketball during practice after a horrible loss the previous night. I think it's safe to say that every Bruins Buff is glad those days are over.

Unless Claude Julien rewards the boys with a bowling-night-out for their third-period effort yesterday...