TORONTO — Nicholas Suzuki felt that his group had done good things. Kirby Dach had no problem with the effort.

And Josh Anderson is convinced that a solitary victory will move the ball forward.

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

Montreal lost 4-1 to Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday in a meeting between the Original Six rivals that resigned the team to its sixth consecutive defeat.

“Work ethic and attitude,” Suzuki, the captain under fire, said when asked about the road map to get back on track. “We put on some good games, but we just didn’t get results.”

These results in the 0-5-1 streak include very little offense from the Canadiens’ star players.

Suzuki and sniper Cole Caufield were held to a scoreless draw in four consecutive games, while Dach — the third member of Montreal’s top line — was absent from the scoresheet for the duration of this ugly streak.

“Everyone here is doing their best,” Dach said. “We all know it’s an honor to wear the logo we wear and the team we play for. It really hurts to go through this, but the only way to get through this is to get through it together.”

Anderson, meanwhile, fell on his sword following a mistake that led to Toronto’s first goal.

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

“We have to find a way.”

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis may be feeling a crisis of confidence among his group, including among the top players in an organization that expected major progress in its rebuild this season.

“They’re fighting a little bit,” the Hall of Fame forward said. “I understand, I’ve been there. You’re about to get it back.”

The Canadiens were defeated by special teams against the Leafs, who scored twice on the power play and once on the penalty kill. Montreal’s response to Brendan Gallagher came thanks to a second-period power play that cut the deficit to 3-1.

“It’s not great right now,” Anderson said of the locker room mood. “But we always try to be positive, find our composure and do the right things.

“Once we find one (a win), we’ll be fine.”

Dach said solutions must come from within these four walls currently filled with frustration.

“All of this is not done in a day and cannot be fixed in a day,” he said. “It takes time, and right now it’s taking a lot longer than we would like.

“But we lean on each other and we have a good group here that is committed to each other and loves each other. We want to do it for each other.”

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

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