For the first four weeks of the regular season, the Montreal Alouettes - led by arguably the greatest quarterback in CFL history - struggled badly offensively. It was unfamiliar territory for a team and star quarterback when you consider that this team has had the top-rated passing offense for three of the last four years, and the only year they havent been rated first during that time was last year when they were second. It has been a high powered offense that has led the Als to four first place finishes in the East in the last five seasons. During those five years, Marc Trestman was the man in charge. A quarterback expert, who upon his arrival in Quebec handed the keys to the franchise to Anthony Calvillo. In 2008, in one of his first meetings with the TSN crew, he explained his philosophy when it comes to the starting quarterback on a ftball team. "Everybody matters in an organization but the quarterback is the most important person, including the owner," said Trestman. "Your quarterback gives your entire organization hope." It was Trestmans system, with input at the time from Scott Milanovich, and ACs job was to execute the plan; which is exactly the way Calvillo likes it. Have the coach call the plays and the quarterback executes them, and it produced three Grey Cup appearances and two championships in five years. When Trestman tk the job as the head coach of the Chicago Bears this off-season, it was assumed by many that the new boss, Dan Hawkins, would simply ask Calvillo to make a copy of the playbk he had been using for the last five years, give it to offensive crdinator Mike Miller and they would hit the ground running on day one of training camp. In theory, it was a gd plan. AC had to know it well enough to teach the finer points to the coaches, who could then teach it to the rest of the team. It was a theory, however, that had one major flaw - it would require one of the best quarterbacks in CFL history to also become one of the best coaches. Trestmans student would now have to become the teacher and that is something that Calvillo is just not ready to do at this point in his career. This week, AC recalled those first three days of camp, saying, "the plan was to keep as much of the old playbk as possible, and in the first three days we tried to do that," he said. Then slowly shaking his head said, "but I could tell after three days that it wasnt going to work." The old bk was put on the shelf and now already at day four of a two week training camp, AC and the coaching staff would sit down and chart a new course of action. The consensus was; it would be easier for AC to learn a new system then to try and become a player-coach and implement the old one. This, however, didnt put the offense behind the rest of the league by four days, but by months when you consider all off-season you are working on your playbk. So, it shouldnt come as that much of a surprise that Montreal struggled out of the gate. The Als started the season with a 1-3 record and the offense over that one month span barely had a heartbeat. Ftball fans across the country thought that the solution to the problem was a no brainer and quickly pointed fingers at Dan Hawkins, and maybe more specifically OC Mike Miller. Most could not figure out why Miller wouldnt just run whatever Calvillo was comfortable with and let him do what he has done for the last five years. However, as previously noted and again according to Calvillo, the team did give Trestmans system a shot and realized it wasnt working. Also, what if after trying the old way and asking the quarterback what he wanted to run, the QB said out of respect for his new offensive crdinator that hes gd with running your offense? What if AC asked Mike Miller to implement his system and also made it very clear that he would prefer that Miller call all the plays? After four weeks of the season, Miller had become an easy target for frustrated fans and quietly tk the heat. The perception was that Miller was forcing AC to run plays he wasnt comfortable with, and that perception was reinforced when Calvillo showed his frustrations outwardly in the first couple of weeks of the season. The truth is, when Calvillo was asked by Miller what he would like to run offensively, AC deferred to the former Arizona Cardinals coach and asked Miller to install his system and began to commit himself to learning it. When things didnt go well out of the gate, AC became frustrated because this was new territory and a very unique circumstance. In the meeting this week without being prompted, the all-time passing leader in ftball said, "you know most of the time when a coach, leaves he is fired because things are going so badly. But in Trestmans case, our offense was running well when he left, so when we started from scratch and struggled early, it was really frustrating." AC also discussed all the great things he can see in Mike Millers style of offense and prior to the Als second win of the season vs Edmonton said, "its time to stop making excuses and time to buy into this new system. This stuff is solid and I have to learn it." In the final analysis, Hawkins and Miller tried the old play bk and AC was the first to admit it wasnt going to work. Miller also asked AC to be part of building a new system. However, Calvillo respectfully declined and would rather run the plays than write them up. Miller is a Calvillo fan and in our meeting, first tk full responsibility for the slow start by saying "I am the OC and I am fully accountable for what has happened so far and Im not happy." Miller went on to praise not only what AC has done in the past but what he believes he is still capable of accomplishing and said "Anthony is a great quarterback, but an even better person, and this offense will get better." Although a lot of people, especially in Northern Alberta, believe that Edmonton should have won that game, the win versus the Esks was a step in the right direction. The Als scored 31 points and AC was able to kick-start Brandon Whitaker (162 rushing) and Jamel Richardson (leading receiver) on the night. It remains to be seen how long it will take for everyone to learn the new way of thinking in Montreal, but one thing that was clearly evident in our meetings this past week was that there is great mutual respect between Anthony Calvillo and Mike Miller. Millers philosophy on the starting quarterback is not much different than Trestmans - they both understand the importance of the position. What is different is the system and now it is up to AC and the rest of the offense to, as Calvillo put it, "stop making excuses and learn it."Bernie Parent Jersey Large . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Custom Flyers Jerseys . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. http://www.customflyersjersey.com/ . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Authentic Custom Flyers Jersey . You can watch the game live on TSN at 70pm et/40pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternn before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. Flyers Jerseys China . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast.LOS ANGELES -- Golden State lacked its usual outside shting touch. The Warriors still had an easy time with the Clippers.Klay Thompson scored 24 points, Draymond Green added 22 points and the Warriors won 115-98 Wednesday night for their seventh straight victory over Los Angeles.Stephen Curry had 19 points for Golden State, and Kevin Durant, who came in averaging a team-best 27.0 points, was held to 16 on 5-of-17 shting.Curry failed to make a 3-pointer for just the second time this season, going 0 of 8. The Warriors were 7 of 30 from long range.You try to affect the games other ways when your shot is not falling, Curry said. Thats kind of the test. To stay locked in and not get frustrated because I know it wont happen that often. Wed like to make every shot every night and have that free-flowing offensive rhythm. But for us, if we can defend and not turn the ball over, were going to be in gd shape most nights. Tonight was a testament to that.Jamal Crawford scored 21 points for the Clippers, who have lost five of seven. Four of their seven overall losses have come at home.Our spirit wasnt right, said Chris Paul, who shot 7 of 14. We gave them a lot of baskets. A team that shts as well as they do, we cant give them points.Blake Griffin struggled, scoring 12 points on 5-of-20 shting and while committing seven of the Clippers 14 turnovers. J.J. Redick had two points, well under his 15.5 average.I turned the ball over, I missed some easy shots, forced some bad shots, Griffin said. We got some work to do, obviously.The Warriors set a dominant tone in the first quarter when they shot 56 percent. They erased the Clippers one-point lead with a 28-9 run to lead 37-19.Golden States defense smothered the Clippers shters, who were held to 33 percent in the first, and forced coach Doc Rivers to bring in his second unit. The reserves couldnt get anything going while Thompson, Curry and Green combined to score 15 consecutive points as part of Golden States big run.Great night defensively, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. If we defend like that and take care of the balll, even on a night when shots arent going in, we have a chance to win anywhere, even on the road against a great team.ddddddddddddrailing by 20 early in the second quarter, the Clippers clawed back within seven on three 3-pointers by Crawford, including a rainbow that just beat the shot clock. Paul added seven points and DeAndre Jordan dunked to get to 53-46. But just as quickly, the Warriors restored their lead to 62-49 at halftime, capped by Greens 3-pointer.Even a 12-0 run by the Clippers only cut their deficit to 14 points late in the third after they fell behind by 27 earlier in the quarter. On the Warriors last possession, Curry and two teammates fell down but Kevon Lney still dunked to send them into the fourth leading 91-75.TIP-INSWarriors: Thompson was coming off his career-high 60-point performance against Indiana on Monday. He was 8 of 18 from the flr against the Clippers. ... They have won seven straight on the road. ... They shot 48 percent from the flr, just under their league-leading 50 percent.Clippers: Their losing streak to the Warriors is the teams longest active skid against any opponent. ... Their last win against the Warriors came on Christmas Day 2014 at home. ... Doc Rivers, Griffin and Paul each got technical fouls. ... Jordan is two rebounds away from 6,000 in his career. ... G Raymond Felton missed the game for unspecified family reasons and is expected to be out a couple games. ... Jay Z, Chris Rock, Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles and the Rev. Jesse Jackson attended the game.NEXT TIMEThe teams meet three more times in the regular season, once in January and twice in February.Dont get t cocky when we play them next time, Thompson said. Theyre very capable. It was just a great effort by us.UP NEXTWarriors: At Utah on Tuesday in the second game of a back-to-back as part of a five-game trip, equaling the teams longest of the season.Clippers: Host New Orleans on Saturday after a rare two-day rest. ' ' '