Canadiens searching for answers amid ugly losing streak

TORONTO — Nick Suzuki felt his group did some good things. Kirby Dach had no issue with the effort.

And Josh Anderson is convinced a solitary win will get the ball rolling.

Those brave words and positive vibes aside, the Canadiens are digging themselves a deep hole a month into the NHL season.

Montreal fell 4-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday in a meeting of Original Six rivals that resigned the team to its sixth straight loss.

"Work ethic and attitude," Suzuki, the under-fire captain, said when asked about the road map to get back on track. "We've put some good games together, just haven't got the results."

Those results in the 0-5-1 stretch have included very little in the way of offence from the Canadiens' star players.

Suzuki and sniper Cole Caufield have been held without a point in four straight games, while Dach — the third member of Montreal's top line — has been absent from the scoresheet for the duration of this ugly run.

"Everyone in here is trying their best," Dach said. "We all know it's an honour to wear the logo we do get to wear and the team we get to play for. It definitely stings going through this, but the only way through it is to get through it together."

Anderson, meanwhile, fell on his sword for a miscue that led to Toronto's first goal.

"Find a way to get a win and then let it snowball from there," said the third-line winger with one assist in five contests. "That's what's going to help us … hearing that music after the game, and then the confidence will come. But we've got to start somewhere.

"We've got to find a way."

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis can sense a crisis of confidence throughout his group — including those top players in an organization that expected major strides in its rebuild this season.

"They're fighting it a little bit," said the Hall of Fame forward. "I understand, been there. You're one shot away from getting it back."

The Canadiens were undone by special teams against the Leafs, who scored twice on the power play and once while short-handed. Montreal's response from Brendan Gallagher came on a second-period man advantage that cut the deficit to 3-1.

"It's not great right now," Anderson said of the locker room's mood. "But we're still trying to be positive, trying to still find our swagger and do the right things.

"Once we find one (win), we'll be fine."

Dach said the solutions have to come from inside those four walls currently filled with frustration.

"All this stuff isn't done in one day or can be fixed in one day," he said. "It takes time, and right now it's taking a lot longer than we'd like.

"But we lean on each other and we have a good group in here that's committed to each other and loves one another. We want to do it for each other."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

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