Claude Julien and his players were direct, to the point in their assessment of the Canadiens 5-4 loss to the last-overall Coyotes Thursday night at the Bell Centre.
"Unacceptable, embarrassing, that's what we were," a disgusted Julien said.
Brendan Gallagher, despite scoring his team-leading eighth goal, spit out, "We deserved the fate we got."
NHL Power Rankings: Lightning on top, Habs continue to tread water
Hard to argue. The Coyotes came in with a league-low two victories in 20 games, none in regulation a quarter of the way through their schedule. Yet, they rallied from a 2-0 hole in the first, 3-2 in the second and 4-3 in the third. Power play goals -- by a team that had only nine all season -- proved to be the equalizer and winner against the hapless Habs Thursday.
"We didn't respect our game plan," stated Julien. "We thought it was going to be easy."
So, that is now three losses in the last four (1-2-1) after the Canadiens clawed back to respectability with five wins in six games. They are tied for 12th in the 16-team Eastern Conference, 29th in a 31-team league with a dreadful minus 17 goal differential.
The Maple Leafs, winners of five straight, are up next, a prime Hockey Night in Canada opponent at a sold out Bell Centre Saturday. Perhaps that will capture the Habs interest more then the woeful Coyotes did. The contest is the last of a disappointing six-game homestand for the Canadiens, who are only 4-4-2 on home ice this season.
Max Pacorietty, Jonathan Drouin and Jordie Benn all missed practice Friday with the flu. Torrey Mitchell, who sat out the last two games with the flu, did practice, though no word on whether he plays Saturday.
Still no Carey Price on ice with his teammates. He will miss his eighth consecutive contest Saturday with that "minor" lower body injury.
De retour au boulot.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 17, 2017
Back at work. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/b5RvUKm3p3
No matter who is in or out of the lineup, Julien hopes for better from his club on Saturday.
"I would expect us to have some pride and bounce back," Julien told reporters following practice on Friday. "This gives this group the opportunity to show some character by coming out tomorrow night and showing that (Thursday) night was not acceptable and they want to redeem themselves."
The coach said that a "punishment skate" may have been warranted at practice, but made little sense with the Habs set to play a third game in five nights.
"A punishment skate is going to punish us tomorrow night, as well," stated Julien.