Byron: 'Good teams don't lose twice in a row'

BROSSARD - The train ride between Montreal and Ottawa isn't long, but Paul Byron planned on taking full advantage of the trek to do some homework.

He wanted to watch tape from Thursday night's game when the Canadiens suffered just their second regulation of the season, falling 3-2 to the Senators at the Bell Centre.
It certainly wasn't a memorable performance on the part of Claude Julien's contingent, who were defeated by the last-place team in the League that was also in the midst of a nine-game winless streak.
So what did Byron expect the footage to reveal about what the Habs must improve come Saturday afternoon's return encounter at the Canadian Tire Centre?
"First thoughts were, our desperation, our compete level probably needs to be better, be ready from puck drop in the first period and really push the game, don't wait for the other team to come to you, play our game, both our intensity, our speed, our drive, force the other team to make adjustments," listed Byron, before departing for the nation's capital. "We know we're better than what we showed yesterday, and tomorrow is a good chance for our team to bounce back and prove that."

The Habs have been a resilient bunch after coming out on the wrong side of the scoresheet so far this season, having yet to drop back-to-back games.
That has propelled them to the upper echelon of the NHL standings with a 7-2-2 record and 16 points alongside Boston and Philadelphia, just one point behind the League-leading Toronto Maple Leafs.
Byron knows that losing streaks of any kind are trouble given the condensed schedule.
"We know how many games there are. Every night, you want to bring your best effort. Last night was just one of those nights where we just weren't our best. Today, we had a good practice. We were a little bit sharper in our details. Tomorrow is a big game for our team. We need to respond," insisted the 31-year-old Ottawa native, who has three assists in 11 games. "We want to show that we're a great hockey team. Good teams don't lose twice in a row, so it's a great opportunity to have a really good bounce back game and get back to the ways we want to play."

That would include getting the power play clicking again after being blanked for the second straight outing on Thursday night.
The Canadiens are just 1-for-16 while up a man over the last four games, which isn't a recipe for success.
"We have to find a way to get more shots on net and create scoring chances. We have to be more aggressive. I think that our breakouts and zone entries were better than before, but we're having trouble getting things going once we're in the offensive zone," insisted Julien, whose club was stymied by Senators goaltender Matt Murray's 36-save effort. "We have to shoot more and find a way to score more goals."
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Nevertheless, Phillip Danault believes the defeat taught the group an important lesson that will serve them well heading into the rematch and beyond.
"At the end of the day, it keeps us humble. We were really doing well the last couple of games, and it just shows us that any team can beat us, any team that works harder," said Danault. "We've just got to make sure that we work harder than them, and we can beat any team as well."

'Claude has helped me a lot'
Point-production has proven hard to come by for Danault this season, but he snapped a six-game drought with assists on goals by Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson on Thursday night.

The 27-year-old Victoriaville, QC native now has five helpers in 11 games, but he's still seeking his first goal of the year.
Admittedly, confidence has been an issue for the former 26th-overall selection of the Chicago Blackhawks to begin his seventh NHL campaign, but Julien has been an important resource for him in that regard.
"Claude has helped me a lot since he came to Montreal. He's been a great coach for me. He had the chance to coach some excellent centermen over the years. He brings a lot of experience that helps me and the younger players," praised Danault. "He knows when it's time to be hard on me and when to help me. He's been really good with me."
The veteran bench boss said Danault's line with Gallagher and Tomas Tatar was the Canadiens' top trio versus Ottawa - and Danault definitely delivered the goods.
In addition to his helpers, he also went 10-for-17 (58.8%) in the faceoff circle while logging just under 16 minutes of ice time.

"We try to give everything we have every night," said Danault, regarding his line. "I'm ready to do everything I can to help the team win. It's going really well right now and we'll keep on going that way."
Puck drop on Saturday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on TSN2, TSN5 and RDS, and listen to all the action on TSN Radio 690 and 98,5 fm.