Gallagher says GM Bergevin right to call meeting to settle slumping Canadiens

BROSSARD, Que. – Brendan Gallagher feels general manager Marc Bergevin was right to call a meeting and set things straight with the slumping Montreal Canadiens.

The star right-winger said Friday that Bergevin’s message — coach Michel Therrien won’t be fired and injured goalie Carey Price will be out longer than expected — was well-received by a team that has come apart after a torrid start to the NHL season.

“As much as you want to say you can block everything out, living in this city it’s too hard to do,” Gallagher said. “Everywhere you go you hear about it.

“At times we were getting too emotionally involved and with Bergevin coming down and speaking to us, I think it had a calming feeling throughout the room. I expect that to reflect in our play.”

Any affect it has will be seen Saturday night when the Canadiens visit the rival TorontoMaple Leafs. Backup Mike Condon will start in goal.

Bergevin met the players for 20 minutes before Thursday’s practice and later delivered a similar message to reporters.

He said Price, expected back after the Jan. 31 all-star game, will miss at least another three-to-four weeks so the team will have to learn to win without last season’s league MVP and top goaltender. He also said Therrien and his staff will be kept on at least until the end of the season whether the slump drags on or not.

“For us, it’s important to get results when Price is not in the lineup, find ways to win,” said Gallagher. “If we can learn to win without our MVP in the lineup then, when he comes back, we’ll all be better.”

Bergevin also spoke of shaking off the slump mentality and regaining confidence.

On Dec. 1, the Canadiens dominated the Eastern Conference with a 19-4-3 record but are 4-16-1 since and have dropped out of a post-season position. If they don’t start winning soon, there is a danger of missing the playoffs in a season in which they hoped to take a run at a Stanley Cup.

There was no sign that the players had tuned out Therrien. The effort was there and they outshot and outchanced opponents more often than not. But the offence has gone dry and they have been done in repeatedly by untimely errors.

The response from the team’s ever-excitable fan base has ranged anywhere from shock, anger, dismay and disbelief and resignation.

“A lot of the games, I don’t think our play has been as bad as our record indicated in the last month and a half,” said centre Lars Eller. “I think this team is a lot better than the record indicates.

“It’s up to us to turn it around. We have all the tools. We have no excuses. We’re confident we can string some wins together.”

He said the bottom line of Bergevin’s message was things would remain “status quo.

“Any doubt or speculation has been on the outside,” said Eller. “In here, everyone has confidence in the coaching staff and the coaching staff has confidence in us.

“It was more for the fans.”

Therrien said he was more concerned with finding solutions to the slump than with his job status.

“We communicate a lot as a group,” he said. “The coaches and management and players have to find a way to win without Carey Price.

“It’s pretty simple.”