from Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette,

They lost because they didn’t compete hard enough.

Defenceman Jeff Petry said the team’s shortcomings were discussed in a players-only meeting after the loss.

“Guys in here, we had a little talk,” Petry said. “Obviously, we weren’t good enough tonight and we had to clear some things up.”

When asked what had to change, Petry said: “I think our compete level … definitely tonight wasn’t good enough. It just seems like we’re playing an easy game right now, making it easy on opponents. I don’t know if it’s just mental lapses from our structure or just wanting to do our own thing, but it’s definitely not working and it’s becoming more and more apparent.”

The Canadiens have scored only four goals in their five-game skid and Tuesday’s goal came on a 5-on-3 power play.

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