Ein Traum wird wahr » defenceman Stephane Robidas

Two off-seasons ago, the Alouettes were told by then head coach Marc Trestman that he would be leaving to take a job with the Chicago Bears. Trestman had led the team to Grey Cup championships in 2009 and 2010 so it is not a stretch to think that ownership in Montreal was looking for the next Marc Trestman when they got the news. The search for a new head coach began immediately, and there were some big names on the list of potential candidates. However, whenever there is a coaching change with an organization, time is of the essence because there are only so many jobs each off-season, and coaches have to take the opportunities while they can, or lose them, and be out of work. Montreal settled on Dan Hawkins and everyone knows how that worked out. The plan was for Hawkins to run Trestmans offence, and Anthony Calvillo would be asked to coach the coach. For a variety of reasons, that didnt work, and Hawkins tried to implement his own system, which also failed, and he was let go early in the season. Against some tough odds, general manager Jim Popp was asked to step in and try and pull things back together. Popp would have to put in a new system, change the terminology, find some assistants that could help, get an inexperienced Troy Smith up to speed, and find a way to make the playoffs. It was a goal that seemed almost impossible, but the Als got there, and in fact were one controversial play away from advancing to the Eastern Final. Fast forward to this past off-season. Now ownership is trying to decide if Popp should continue to coach the team and have the dual role or if they should go back to the proven model of hiring two separate people as their GM and head coach, which has been the formula that got them to five Grey Cups in the last 10 years. Also while this is happening, the organization is trying to fill other vacated holes in the staff. Remember Trestman took a lot of his assistants with him to Chicago. Scott Milanovich had moved on to Toronto earlier, and Marcus Brady had gone with him. In fact, it has been estimated that there are over 60 front office staff, coaches, and players currently working in the CFL that went though Montreal; a compliment to the organization, but over the last two years, an issue that is catching up to them. So this past off-season, ownership is contemplating whether Jim Popp should continue coaching, while they are compiling a list of possible candidates, and time was again slipping away. When Tom Higgins was finally announced, which was a decision by ownership, not by GM Jim Popp, a reporter asked if Higgins reminded ownership of Marc Trestman, and Bob Wetenhalls son Andrew answered in the affirmative, which suggests that ownership was taking their time because they were looking for the next Trestman. Now Higgins assembles his staff and hires Rick Worman to be his offensive coordinator to work with a young Ryan Dinwiddie whom has shown great potential, but is inexperienced as a coordinator. Worman again changes the terminology, and the offence, but depending on which story you believe, butts heads with staff and some players, and doesnt work out. So prior to the team kicking off the regular season, Dinwiddie, who again many think will be a great coordinator some day, is forced to leave the spotters booth, head to the sideline and, once again rework the offence. So the Als head into the regular season with an inexperienced Troy Smith who has been asked to learn three different offences in a span of about 10 months. Not surprisingly, the team starts the season 1-4 and struggles putting any points on the board. Interestingly enough, it is Smith that takes all the heat for the teams problems, with many people, including his head coach Tom Higgins, saying he just isnt playing well enough to give the team a chance to win. It is interesting because in last weeks loss to Toronto, Smith was pulled and Alex Brink went 9-for-23 for 60 yards and an interception, which would indicate that, while jury still may be out on Smith, he certainly isnt the real problem. On Monday, Montreal announced that former Stampeder Jeff Garcia was being brought in to help kick-start the offence, and joins Don Matthews and Turk Schonert, as consultants. Garcia should help Troy Smith in a huge way, however the new coaches also means that there will be yet again a new offensive system for the Heisman Trophy winner, and both Tanner Marsh and Alex Brink to learn. The fact that so much is being done to help Tom Higgins shouldnt surprise anyone; remember Higgins was hired by ownership so clearly they want to give Higgins as much help as possible before even contemplating another mid-season head coaching change. So it will be the fourth offensive system in 10 months, new terminology, and back to basics for three quarterbacks whose heads must be spinning. The good news for Montreal fans is that the East is up for grabs and a couple of wins can get you on top of the division in a hurry. However, the struggles that the Als are facing have less to do with an inexperienced quarterback and more to do with ownership trying to hire the next Trestman. Marc Trestman is a great coach; a quarterback expert that was an excellent communicator and humble enough to understand that you are always learning. However, there is only one Marc Trestman and trying to find the next one has put this team in catch-up mode for going on two years now. Cheap Air Max Uk Sale . The Raptors (15-15) posted six road victories last month and have won seven of their last nine games overall. Toronto visits the Washington Wizards on Friday night. Wholesale Air Max .J. -- John Elway says Peyton Manning cannot stamp himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history even if he wins the Super Bowl on Sunday. http://www.cheapukairmax.com/. Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Air Max Uk Online . According to the CFL Scouting Bureaus January rankings, four of the top five Canadian prospects line-up on the offensive side of the trenches, which is good news for Bombers general manager Kyle Walters. With only one selection in the first two rounds — Walters sent his second-round pick to Saskatchewan in the days ahead of the 2013 trade deadline — the No. Wholesale Air Max Uk . The Rangers announced after Thursdays 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees that they would purchase Williams contract from Triple-A Round Rock. The 32-year-old Williams was released by Houston earlier this month after going 1-4 with a 6.ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Anaheim Ducks were eager to get back on track and the Florida Panthers paid the price. Corey Perry and captain Ryan Getzlaf each had a goal and two assists, and the Anaheim Ducks snapped their four-game home skid with a 6-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday night. "We had the puck and didnt turn it over too much. We played with the puck and found each other. Everybody was moving," said Perry, who notched his team-leading 37th goal of the season to give the Ducks a 5-2 lead at the 11:56 mark of the second period. Getzlaf agreed. "We got back to doing what we need to be doing," said Getzlaf, who is second in the NHL in scoring with 79 points. "We find a way to get open and get shots. Tonight, we clicked better." Teemu Selanne, Jakob Silfverberg, Kyle Palmieri and Perry scored during Anaheims four-goal second period. "I feel re-energized," said Selanne, who recently has been teamed with Getzlaf and Perry. "Today we were really clicking and reading each other well. The more time we spend together, the more youre going to learn from one another. It was fun to play with those guys. Theyre so dangerous and talented, so you have to be ready." Patrick Maroon also scored an early goal before leaving the game with a lower-body injury for the Ducks, who pulled within one point of San Jose atop the Pacific Division standings. Selanne had a goal and an assist, while Jonas Hiller made 28 saves for Anaheim, which is four points behind Western Conference-leading St. Louis with 11 games left. Jimmy Hayes and Tomas Fleischmann scored in the second period for the Panthers, who lost the last three games on their West Coast road trip by a combined 12-3..dddddddddddd Former Anaheim goalie Dan Ellis stopped 34 shots in Floridas seventh loss in nine games overall. The Ducks had lost two straight and six of eight while slipping out of first place in the NHL standings, but they got back to their usual dominant selves during the second period. After Maroon scored his first career power-play goal in the first period against the NHLs worst penalty-killing team, Selanne scored his 684th career goal just 15 seconds into the second. Silfverberg scored an unassisted short-handed goal less than four minutes later, Fleischmanns eighth goal of the season midway through the second trimmed the Ducks lead to 3-2, but Palmieri and Perry scored 1:01 apart later in the period. Perrys 37 goals are second most in the NHL. Getzlaf got his 30th goal early in the third period, and new defenceman Stephane Robidas had an assist for his first point with the Ducks. Florida goalie Dan Ellis has given up 11 goals in his last two appearances. "Its a good hockey team," Ellis said. "They are one of the top teams in the West and the West is arguably stronger than the East. Theyve had a little adversity lately, but you had to be ready for a big push out of them. They are desperate for playoff position, to get home ice. They played us hard. I needed to make some key saves at key times and I didnt." NOTES: Anaheims next eight games are against opponents currently out of the playoff picture. The Ducks begin a three-game road trip Wednesday at Calgary while the NCAA West regional mens basketball tournament occupies Honda Center. ... The Panthers went 1-3 on their four-game road trip. ... Ellis started his 200th career NHL game. ... Anaheim equipment manager Doug Shearer worked his 2,500th game. ' ' '