VIDEO: Russian jet fighter pilot makes his Sukhoi-30 dance!

For months now, stories have been floating around the Internet and other meeja that Russian President Vladimir Putin is building up his country's armed forces in preparation for... hmmm... for what? That's the big question.

Having seen a little demonstration in Syria of what the Russian air force is capable of, NATO's defence preparedness "experts" tell us that we're falling behind in the arms race and had better start increasing our "assets" in Europe. I tend to take dire warnings of this kind cum grano salis, but must agree that it would be foolish to underestimate the capabilities and expertise of the Russkis.

What made me think of this was a one-minute video, just received from Agent 6 (to whom be many thanks) showing a Russian pilot putting his Sukhoi-30 jet fighter through some intricate solo dance steps... at ground level! If you think this is all done some kind of computer graphics trick, done with a model aircraft, suspend your disbelief until the last six seconds when you'll see the plane straighten out and fly right... and fast too!

What a plane, eh! And what a pilot! A couple of years ago the USAF went toe-to-toe with the Russians during war games in India. The US F15s had a tough time defeating the SU30s, although the F22s seemed to fare better. Let's hope our guys and our planes are never put to the test in real life.

Memo to Marc Bergevin: It's time to trade Subban!

Memo from Poor Len Canayen to Marc Bergevin:
As our readers know, the proprietor of this blog and I are big fans of your Montréal Canadiens, a.k.a. Les Glorieux. We are disappointed in the extreme that for the week last past week they have been anything but.

Three straight losses! That's unacceptable! Before the team falls out of what seemed to be a guaranteed playoff spot, something must be done! Here's our analysis and recommendation.

Goaltending: You've got two Olympians, both of whom were playing very well until this month. Wednesday night Petr Budaj let in zero goals. Unfortunately Carey Price let in five. (Therrien left him in the game one goal too long.) Price has every reason to feel demoralized. To use the old cliché, he should sue his defence for non-support.

Offence: The current edition of les Canadiens is never going to score a lot of goals. You should be able to count on 2, or maybe 3 on a good night. 5-spots are rare. But Wednesday night and last night they managed only one (1). You've got a couple of guys who aren't contributing. Here's a short list:
Rene Bourque -- Shows signs of trying hard but can't find the back of the net. We hear you've already shopped him around, with no takers. Send him to Hamilton and give someone else a chance.
Daniel Brière -- Past his sell-by date. Could he be traded?
Lars Eller -- We like Eller a lot and wouldn't like to see him gone. Perhaps the solution is to reunite the "EGG" line, once (as we hope) Galchenyuk's injured hand heals.
Michael Bournival -- Back to Hamilton for more experience, especially when playing without the puck.

Defence: What defence? You'd think out of eight or nine guys you could get two reliable pairs. Our comments:
Andrei Markov -- Never a speedster, now getting old and obviously his bunged-up knee will never be the same. But the team wouldn't be where it is now without him. Forgive him for the game against Pittsburgh. He just can't keep up, 25 minutes a game, any more.
Alexei Emelin -- Is a puzzlement. He bangs and crashes with the best of them, but doesn't seem to be reading the plays very well. Leave him with Markov and you've got one good (if not exceptional) pair.
Josh Gorges -- Gorgeous Gorges, a capable stay-at-home defenceman, great shot-blocker. And a real team leader. He too is doing his best and will be OK, but who to play with him?
Rafael Diaz -- Why did he have to watch from the press box on Wednesday and Friday? He hasn't been any worse than the other defencelessmen. He's competent enough, just lacks the toughness to really intimidate opposing forwards.

So -- leaving aside last year's Norris trophy winner -- there's your top four. Now let's look at:
Francis Bouillon -- Another member of the over-the-hill gang, but still OK as long as he doesn't have to play two games in two nights. Could play with Gorges if needed.
Douglas Murray -- Has improved and has the toughness Diaz and others lack, but soooo slow. Makes the much-missed (by us) Hal Gill look like a speedster. We couldn't believe Therrien paired him with Subban last night. They probably only saw each other in the dressing room.
Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi -- Two more not ready for the NHL.

Which brings us to:
Pernell Karl Subban -- Marc, it's time to think the unthinkable and speak the unspeakable. The team would be better off trading Subban for an impact forward!

It's time to stop making excuses for P.K. He's not a kid any more, and he doesn't learn from his many mistakes. First, he needs to learn how to skate. Maybe he's top-heavy, or maybe he has equipment problems, but he seems to keep falling down. And when he does a tight turn, the knuckles of his free hand drag on the ice! Secondly, he needs to learn to play defence. His job should be not to score goals -- although that's appreciated -- but to keep guys like Sid the Kid from scoring goals! Thirdly, he needs to stop being a "heat score". He's very visible [a vizmin! Ed.] and the referees don't like him.

Speaking of "don't like him", you've got to stop glossing over the fact that Subban is disliked not just by fans of every other team, but by some of his own teammates. The Russians (Markov and Emelin) won't play with him. Erik Cole went to Dallas in a "me-or-him" decision. And stories of dressing room dissension persist. Subban is a puck hog, a hot dog, a distraction and a divisive force in the room. Get rid of him!

"But where?", we hear you ask, Marc. Why, Toronto, of course! Subban is a Toronto boy, the Leafs' defence is woeful, and P.K. can be a hero to the promoters of diversity. And... get this... Toronto has the impact forward that Montréal needs -- James van Riemsdyk. What a deal that would be! ... Just our two cents ...

À lire: "Canadien: d'autres remaniements en défense"

What keeps de cows in de field?

DEFENCE!
Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montréal Canadiens need to get some if they're to have any hope of making the playoffs, let alone winning Lord Stanley's silverware this year.

Vesa the Finished Finn played not too badly in Leafs' 5-2 loss to the Pens. That's if you consider allowing 5 goals "not too badly". True, he stayed on the goal line or behind it, like a frightened turtle, but he could sue his defencemen for non-support. Jeff "Fickle" Finger and François Beauchemin deserve dishonourable mention.

Leafs allowed 3 goals on 4 Pittsburgh powerplays. They bid fair (foul, surely? ed.) to have the worst PK in the league again this year.

Meanwhile, at Edmonton, Les Pas-Très-Glorieux made two mistakes that cost two goals, according to Jacques Martin, so lost a close one, 3-2, even though they outshot the Oilers 35-19.

Don't blame Carey Price. He appears still a bit shell-shocked, being probably the most shot-upon (did you mean to put an "a" there? ed) goalie in the NHL. That's because the Habs have a woefully inept collection of kids and hasbeens on the blueline.

What was Bob Gainey thinking when he acquired Hal Gill? Look up "slow" in the dictionary and you'll see his picture! His lack of speed makes him simply an obstacle, like a tree, to be skated around by opposing forwards.

And then there's Georges "Token" Laraque, he of the Afrobraids. His role is resident goon but he's a gentle giant, rather like Lenny in Of Mice and Men. What the Canadiens need is someone just plain mean.

It's not too early for both teams to start thinking trade, trade and trade some more! But who have they got that anyone else would want? Walt's solution: trade with each other!