“Your attitude and your approach is something that can make a big difference,” coach Claude Julien tells his players.
Stu Cowan Montreal Gazette
Canadiens centre Nick Suzuki (14) and Ottawa Senators centre Derek Stepan (21) battle for the puck in the third period at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Sunday.Photo by Marc DesRosiers /USA TODAY Sports
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Attitude and approach.
Those are the two things Canadiens coach Claude Julien says his players need to focus on to get out of the slump theyre in now. Scoring more goals would also help. So, it seems, would playing more games against the Vancouver Canucks.
The Canadiens are 4-0-1 against Vancouver this season, outscoring the Canucks 28-16. The Canadiens are 5-5-2 against the other teams they have played in the North Division while being outscored 31-29.
After a 7-1-2 start to the season, the Canadiens are 2-4-1 in their last seven games and have fallen to fourth place in the North Division standings following a 3-2 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators the worst team in the NHL Sunday night. The top four teams make the playoffs.
The Canadiens practised Monday afternoon in Ottawa as they prepare to face the Senators again Tuesday night (7 p.m., TSN2, TSN5, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). After practice, Julien gathered his players on the ice for a little chat.
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What did the coach say?
Just that we got to work our way out of it, Julien said during a video conference after practice. Simple as that. Not more complicated than that. Its our attitude and our approach to the game thats going to make the difference. So we need that tomorrow.
Thats the only thing you control right now is your attitude, Julien added. So you either come in down and discouraged or you come in determined and wanting to turn things around and ready to do those kinds of things. So thats one thing we can control. Sometimes theres bounces, theres all kind of things that happen in a game that you cant always control. But your attitude and your approach is something that can make a big difference, so thats what we got to do.
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After Sundays game in Ottawa which followed a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night at the Bell Centre the Canadiens Nick Suzuki said the losing is starting to take a mental toll.
I think were pretty much all up in our own heads right now, the 21-year-old centre said. I think just overthinking it. Playing not to lose and thats never a good thing to do. I think at the start of the season we were real energized and everyone was having fun. Just thats got away from us.
Expectations were high coming into this season after GM Marc Bergevins off-season moves that added forwards Josh Anderson, Tyler Toffoli, Corey Perry and Michael Frolik (who remains on the taxi squad), along with defenceman Joel Edmundson and backup goalie Jake Allen. Before the start of the season, Bergevin spoke about how his moves sent a message to the NHL and his players that we mean business.
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Were here to win and we can play any way you want to play, the GM added. So guys are excited I can tell you that right now.
Julien went a step further before the season, saying there was no reason to believe the Canadiens couldnt go all the way and win the Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens quick start might have had people starting to believe that.
Every team is going to go through slumps during a season, but there are reasons for concern now with this Canadiens team, and if Julien cant turn things around you have to think his days as coach are numbered in this condensed 56-game season.
As a whole, were just not playing great hockey right now, Julien said. Thats what is pretty obvious to everybody. We got to find our rhythm again, we got to find our game again and thats the main thing. It doesnt matter whether you have a lot of new faces or not. We showed at the beginning that we were able to work well together. We just got to get back to that.
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Captain Shea Weber was asked what the one biggest problem is right now.
Its kind of changed over games, to be honest with you, he said. Obviously, our transition game was really good early on. Maybe were giving up a little too many odd-man rushes now. Special teams have hit a lull. Its just kind of been numerous things. Theres not one specific thing you can put a finger on right now.
Weber added that the players need to get the excitement back that they had early in the season and eliminate the negative energy that is now around the team, which Suzuki talked about.
The way that we were playing at the start of the year, I think that we realized how good we can be and when youre not at that level youre frustrated and the pressure does come, Weber said. It can be a good thing because it brings out the best in guys. But right now, obviously, its not really working for us.
It needs to start working and soon.
scowan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/StuCowan1
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