Julien laments mandated days off after lopsided loss to Leafs
Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien's hands are tied after a 6-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
In his perfect world, he'd be able to put his players through a grueling practice or bag skate, but the NHL's collective bargaining agreement prohibits him from calling the Canadiens to the rink Sunday.
"The CBA says they get four days off a month, and they've got tomorrow off," Julien said after the game, according to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN. "There was a time when you could react. You can't anymore. They got the day off tomorrow, and on Monday we leave (for back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday).
"So I gotta continue to find ways - through video, through making guys accountable - because a punishing skate for us on Monday would do what for us on Tuesday and Wednesday? That's where we are now in this league. So we need to evolve in the game. Maybe back in the day, there was a time where we could do (a punishment skate). It's a lot harder today than it was back then."
The loss dropped Montreal to 8-11-2, much further down in the standings than the Canadiens expected to be at any point this season.
Things aren't about to get easier during their back-to-back in Dallas and Nashville.