I feel bad for Jonathan Bernier.

I mean, yes, he just signed an NHL contract. Barring injury, he has a future ahead of him that includes Venice Beach, Malibu and high-level hockey, so things aren’t that bad, I suppose.

But last week, Bernier returned to the Lewiston Maineiacs, ostensibly for one final go at a regular-season title run, one last shot at leading Team Canada in the World Junior Championships, and one last effort to claim junior hockey’s most coveted prize, the Memorial Cup.

Something funny is happening on the road to Kitchener, though.

The team in front of Bernier is in shambles.

Wasn’t it just last week I was telling people to step back from the ledge? Yeah, that was me, alright. Strap on those safety harnesses and stand clear of the ledge, because nothing is as bad as it seems. Take it in 10-game blocks.

After watching the team self-destruct twice in three days, though, and more importantly, after watching the players seemingly lack enough pride to better themselves from one debacle to the next, I am beginning to doubt myself.

So what’s wrong?

Where do I start?

How about the lines. This is an easy spot to start, because it’s the first thing hockey fans will notice. Through last Sunday’s overtime loss to Val d’Or, the Lewiston Maineiacs had won seven of eight, the OT loss being the only loss. Even that earned them a point, though.

In the very next game, against a surprisingly good Saint John team, the line combinations were jumbled. Matt Bourdeau jumped onto Stefano Giliati and Stefan Chaput’s line. Chris Tutalo ened up with Marc-Andre Daneau, and Lucas Labelle, Marc Bourgeois and Todd Chinova ended up on Line 4.

The result?

Chemistry on the ice that looked like it was cooked up in a college lab invaded by a dozen Stewie Griffins. Passes went awry, timing was off and the Sea Dogs capitalized on the poor effort in a 3-1 win. Two of those goals were 2-on-1s on missed outlet passes or defensive assignments.

Instead of going back to the original lines for Friday’s contest, the staff went back to what didn’t work on Wednesday.

That result?

See the above paragraph, but substitute Chicoutimi for Saint John, a 5-3 for 3-1 in the scoreline.

Pathetic.

The veterans on this team need to start playing like veterans. Twenty-year-olds need to start realizing that other people on this team have to be involved in the play for the concept of teamwork to exist, and the defensemen need to realize that they are not Chad Denny. It is never a good idea to freeze the puck along the boards in your own zone except as a last resort. It should not be the first thing you think of doing.

The upside to all of this is, of course, that the season is not yet a quarter of the way done. There is time to fix this, but there needs to be a willingness among the players to change, and a willingness among the staff to be patient and open enough to allow the time for change to happen.