Canadiens need quick rebound after weak losses to Arizona and Toronto
MONTREAL — It would have been a fine time for an old-fashioned bag skate, but Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien didn’t have that option even if that was what he wanted.
After closing a six-game homestand with what the coach called an “embarrassing” 5-4 loss to lowly Arizona followed by a 6-0 thrashing from the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, the old-school reaction would be to hold a punishing, no-sticks skate to drive home the message that such performances are unacceptable.
But the league’s collective bargaining agreement says teams have to designate four days off each month and Sunday had been marked down for a rest, so Julien will have to find other ways to get his struggling team going.
“At the end of the day, we have to find a way to be a better hockey club,” Julien said after the latest loss. “The CBA says four days off a month, they got (Sunday) off.