For a guy who took so much heat during the Canadiens' mid-October meltdown, Pierre Gauthier isn't getting much credit for the team's reawakening, even though it was Gauthier's manoeuvering that kick-started the resurrection.
Last Wednesday's firing of assistant coach Perry Pearn had everything to do with the Canadiens reeling off three consecutive wins - not necessarily because Pearn was the problem, but because his departure was so sudden and unexpected.
There were also strategic, tactical and personnel moves that made a difference, like Erik Cole getting first unit exposure on the power play, Mathieu Darche being reduced to the fourth line role for which he's best suited and added veteran presence on defence in the form of a healthy Jaroslav Spacek -- but l'affaire Pearn was the catalyst for everything.
It was widely condemned as a callous act of desperation, but it got everyone's attention, from head coach and longtime Pearn loyalist Jacques Martin on down, and created a sense of urgency among coaches and players alike.
Whether they're a butcher, baker or hockey playmaker, everyone's performance goes up a notch when their job security is threatened.
Pierre Gauthier's public handling of Perry Pearn's dismissal was awkward with gusts to ruthlessly insensitive, but the fact that it had the desired effect leaves the impression of an evil genius at work.
We can probably all agree that he's neither evil nor a genius, but the timing of the team's turnaround says that Gauthier isn't quite as hapless as his most ardent critics suggest.
