Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu believes Montreal's victory over Vancouver on Wednesday night should act as a wake-up call.
Though flat for long stretches and outshot 42-21, the Canadiens did enough to beat the Canucks 3-0 in Montreal for their eighth consecutive victory.
"It's probably the worst game we've played this year," said Beaulieu, who scored the winner in the second period. "We definitely got away with one. We just weren't sharp. We were on our heels. We sat back and didn't dictate the game. It's a lesson tonight.
"It's the best kind of wake-up call to get, one where you get the win. Tough game for us. Back to the drawing board."
The NHL-best Canadiens relied heavily on goalie Carey Price to keep the winning streak alive. Price made 42 saves for his first shutout and sixth consecutive win of the season.
"We're not going to play perfectly every game, that's just a fact," Price said. "We definitely can't let ourselves get content. "
Torrey Mitchell and Alexander Radulov, into an empty net, also scored for Montreal. At 9-0-1, the Canadiens are the only undefeated NHL team in regulation time this season.
Philadelphia 4, Detroit 3 (OT): Mark Streit tied it with 1:02 left in regulation and Jakub Voracek scored in overtime to give the Flyers a comeback victory over the Red Wings in Philadelphia.
