Searching for answers

BOSTON - The Canadiens will have six days to find their winning ways before hitting the ice again next weekend.

Currently on a stretch of six losses in their last seven games, Sunday's latest setback was in a building where the Habs had not lost in over five years.
That it came against the rival Bruins was enough to send the team seriously searching for answers.
"Everyone just has to improve their game, it's that simple. Tonight there were a couple of breakdowns and then the game got out of hand. Everyone's just got to dig deeper and play with confidence," stressed Max Pacioretty, who led the Habs with five shots on goal, but was nevertheless unable to find the back of the net. "People talk about the schedule or fatigue, but we've all got to deal with the same things. It's time to look in the mirror, man up, and just worry about our own play"

After being shutout for a third time in five outings, the Habs will look to forget Sunday's result as quickly as possible, focusing instead on getting better both offensively and defensively.
Since the beginning of February, Montreal has been outscored 23-10.
"I'm just looking forward to the future. We've got a lot of work to do, but I think everybody's got the right mindset," continued the Habs captain. "We've all got to look in the mirror and tell ourselves that no one's going to get us out of this besides ourselves. No one's going to feel sorry for us."
Nobody, including the Canadiens.
"We're not going to make excuses in here. We need to get back to what makes us successful. We're a really good team when everyone is chipping in and we're rolling four lines," underlined Brendan Gallagher, who came back from a fractured hand injury ahead of schedule on Sunday to play his 300th career game. "Right now it seems like we're stuck watching a little bit, hoping that someone else will be the difference maker. We need to get back to the mindset that we can all make the difference. We've got enough good players in here to do that."

A silver lining for Montreal -- however slim -- might have been that at least a cold streak is being cut short by the upcoming break, but Alexander Radulov sees things differently.
"If we won today, I would say I want the break, but after losing, you don't want any breaks," admitted the Russian forward, who finished the game in a three-way tie for hits, with four. "You want to get back out there and start the next one."
Still, with the 'next one' nearly a week away, the Habs would be wise to take advantage of the time off.
"We've got to go back to the drawing board, and use this break to rest. I'm sure guys are feeling pretty tired right now -- the schedule's been pretty tough on us," continued Gallagher, as the team comes off consecutive weekends with back-to-back games. "We've got to regroup and refocus, then come back hungry and ready to figure this thing out."
It turns out Pacioretty was right when he said everyone in the room shares the same mindset.
"We've got to come back with a lot of energy and win some games. That's going to take everybody doing the right thing over the break and taking care of their bodies to make sure we come back and make a push," concluded the 28-year-old. "It's frustrating, but it's over now. We've got to worry about doing the right things over the break, and making a statement when we get back."