After getting off to a perfect road start with Jakub Jerabek scoring the first goal of his NHL career just 31 seconds into the opening frame, Claude Julien's troops couldn't generate much of anything the rest of the way.
When it was all over, Boston spoiled Julien's much-anticipated return to Beantown with a 4-1 win, extending the Canadiens' winless streak to three games in the process.
Outshot by a 32-22 margin overall, the Habs didn't really put Bruins starter Tuukka Rask to the test, firing six shots on goal in the first, just seven in the second and nine more in the third.
That just isn't good enough against an Eastern Conference powerhouse with snipers aplenty on their roster.
"You can't explain it. You just have to look in the mirror and be better as individuals, be better as a team. The situation that we're in, we have to be smarter than that and understand that we can't afford to have off nights, especially when we're playing a team that's supposed to be our biggest rival. We're supposed to show up," said Gallagher, who was visibly disappointed with the result. "At no point in the game did we have the effort level that we needed to win and we got the result we deserved."
Gallagher went on to say that the Canadiens were essentially outworked by the Bruins from start to finish. Finding any positives in the loss was a tough task.
"We were bad all over the ice. We didn't have the effort level, both offensively and defensively," admitted Gallagher. "You can't build momentum in a game or put a team on its heels until you score goals. You've got to wear a team down as the game goes on. It was the opposite [against Boston]. They had the puck all night. We weren't working hard enough to get it back."
Julien was especially disappointed with the final scoreline because the Canadiens were playing a competitive brand of hockey of late, earning six out of a possible eight points entering the game in the Bruins' barn.
"We weren't good. It's just as simple as that. I was really disappointed with our effort. We've been playing good hockey lately, but not in this game," said Julien, during his postgame press conference, before addressing some key concerns up front. "It's a step back, because we played at least four or five good games and we needed a good effort and it didn't happen. We have to take responsibility for that. When your fourth line continues to be the best line from an offensive standpoint and works and competes, you're hoping that you'll have a similar effort from everyone at one point in time."
While the contest itself left a lot to be desired, Julien did wholeheartedly appreciate the Bruins' video tribute that celebrated his 10 years behind the bench in Boston, before rejoining the Canadiens last February.
The veteran bench boss was moved by the montage, which aired during the first period and led to a rousing applause from the Bruins' faithful.
"It was emotional, but you always try to manage your emotions because you have a game to coach," said Julien. "I'm happy that it's over now, so we can move on to other things. It's a new chapter of my career. But, I appreciate what they did for me and I'll never forget it."
