MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens dressing room remained closed to the media for a long time after their 5-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night. nfl jerseys china . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. "We have nobody to blame except ourselves and we have to be a lot more resilient moving forward." The Canadiens (27-20-5) have lost four in a row and five of six, allowing Eastern Conference rivals to move closer to the playoff spot they held by a comfortable margin until recently. The slump has rumours flying of trades and has some questioning whether coach Michel Therriens job is safe, although Gorges doesnt see a need for a change. "I cannot see one guy that has lost faith in anyone in this organization," he said. "Thats not who we are. "Collectively, were just in a rut and were finding ways to beat ourselves. Tonight, once we got down, mentally we didnt have that resiliency. But in no way, shape or form are we quitting on anybody." The Canadiens half-effort, in which they were outshot 27-3 at one point in the second frame before closing the gap to 34-21, was just what the struggling Capitals (23-21-8) needed. Alex Ovechkin returned from missing two gamjes with a lower body injury to start a four-goal second period as the Capitals ended a seven-game winless run. The Caps had scored only eight goals in their seven previous games. "Its a big win, a good win for the boys," said Ovechkin. "It brings some confidence back. "This building is an exciting place. Its good." John Erskine, Jay Beagle and John Carlson also scored in the middle period and Casey Wellman, who was recalled Saturday from AHL Hershey, scored on a feed from Ovechkin on a 2 on 1 counterattack 8:38 into the third period. Erskine, Beagle and Wellman each got his first of the season, while Ovechkin got his league-leading 36th. Carlsons goal at 10:31 of the middle period chased goalie Carey Price in favour of backup Peter Budaj. It was a sixth straight game in which Montreal allowed four or more goals. Caps goalie Braden Holtby improved his record against Montreal to 5-0-0 with two shutouts. The Canadiens talked among themselves about the rut they are in after the game, but it was management that ordered every player to stay in the room to face the media. They had been booed mercilessly by the 21,273 Bell Centre fans, who also gave a mock cheer when they were held without a shot on goal until Daniel Briere got only their fourth of the game at 12:25 of the second period. "Its probably the biggest cheer I ever got for making a save," said Holtby. "People should be frustrated," said Montreal defenceman P.K. Subban. "Im frustrated. Everybodys frustrated in here. "But thats life. Thats part of the sport. Its how you respond. I think we have the right attitude in here. We just have to work through it." Therrien said every team goes through bad patches in a season and its up to them to play their way out of it. "That the players had a meeting shows they want to fix the problem," he said. "I have confidence we will bounce back from this." Price said the meeting should help. "We need to tackle this problem as a team," he said. "Doing things individually is what got us to this point. So this was a good step. "At this point, our support isnt good enough. We have to battle better for our teammates. You have to count on the guy beside you. Right now were not doing that." The Canadiens seemed to go to pieces once Washington got the lead. Ovechkin fed Troy Brouwer on a power play for a shot that was disallowed when video review found it entered the net a fraction of a second after the first period ended. The man advantage had just ended when Ovechkin produced magic in the second period when Jason Chimeras rebound looked to be floating past the net. He tapped the puck twice in the air to keep it from getting away, then he lifted it into an open side for his 36th of the season. "It was kind of a tough angle, but its in and well take it," said Ovechkin. Less than two minutes later, Erskine saw his sliding pass go through a surprised Prices legs after Subban lifted Brooks Laichs stick in front of the net. Beagle scored on a set-up from Tom Wilson at 6:21 and Carlson added one on a long shot Price didnt see. The Capitals have won seven in a row at the Bell Centre since March, 2011 and are 9-1-1 in their last 11 visits. Notes -- There was a standing ovation in a pre-game ceremony for Anthony Calvillo. The CFLs all-time passing leader retired this week from the Montreal Alouettes. . . There was also a moments silence for victims of the Ile-Verte fire. . . Montreal defenceman Raphael Diaz was scratched for a fourth game. . . While Ovechkin returned, centre Mikhail Grabovski sat out with a lower body injury. . . Adam Oates coached his 100th Capitals game. wholesale nfl jerseys . Kane returned to score a goal and added an assist, leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. cheap jerseys from china .C. -- The Charlotte Bobcats said head coach Steve Clifford underwent a successful procedure Friday to have two stents placed in his heart.KAPALUA, Hawaii -- Webb Simpson might have pulled out of the Tournament of Champions to be with his caddie if he were not on an island in the middle of the Pacific. Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Simpson made four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine at Kapalua for a 5-under 68, giving him a share of the lead with defending champion Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth going into the final round Monday on the Plantation Course. On a glorious day of sun and surf, Simpson played with a heavy heart. His caddie and friend, Paul Tesori, was in a hospital in Florida with newborn son Isaiah in intensive care. Simpson said the child suffered a seizure shortly after he was born with indications of an infection in his brain. One of Tesoris best friends in the business is Ted Scott, the caddie for Bubba Watson, who is filling in this week as Simpsons caddie. Tesori tweeted that he tuned into the telecast at Kapalua in time to see his sons name on Scotts hat. "I felt like we were out there playing for Isaiah," Simpson said. "Paul needs something to watch there in the hospital. Its been a long few days, so hopefully, we gave him something good to see on TV. But it was tough. I was thinking about him a lot out there." Winning on Monday wont be easy. Simpson was the first to reach 14-under 205, thanks to a terrific par save on the 17th and a long two-putt par on the 18th hole, a par 5 with a front hole location that made it difficult to get close because the green and the grain move sharply away. Spieth, the 20-year-old Texan who looks just as good as he did during a sensational rookie season, got back into the mix with a tough birdie on the par-3 eighth and capped off a 69 with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a long two-putt for par on the 18th. Spieth won the John Deere Classic last year. This is his first time with at least a share of the 54-hole lead. "This is a new position for me," Spieth said. "Ive never slept on a 54-hole lead. Im excited about it and its going to be a fun time tomorrow to get to play with Webb for the third time this week." The most intimidating figure is Johnson, whose power is suited for the Plantation Course. Johnson also had a 69 and was disappointed at playing the par 5s in 3-under for the day. One of them was a tap-in eagle on the par-5 ninth. But he hhad to settle for pars on the long holes on the back nine.cheap nfl jerseys. One shot hit the front of the green and rolled off the putting surface on the 15th and into a valley. On the 18th, his 4-iron came up short and left him a pitch that had to be perfect. It was a few inches from that. The pitch didnt have enough roll to glide with the grain and left him a 15-foot birdie chance that he missed. "Other than that, I played pretty good," Johnson said. No matter. Hes still tied for the lead, still in good position to start the new year the same way he did in 2013. Zach Johnson, who had a three-shot lead going into the third round, couldnt make anything and shot a 74. His only birdie was a two-putt on the par-5 fifth hole. Still, he was only two shots behind at 12-under 207 heading into the Monday finish. Instead of building his lead, Zach Johnson effectively gave more players in this winners-only field a chance. Gary Woodland (67), PGA champion Jason Dufner (69), Brandt Snedeker (69) and Kevin Streelman, who had a 33 on the back nine to salvage a 70, were within three shots of the lead. Masters champion Adam Scott wasted a chance to join them. Scott was at 11-under and in range of the par-5 15th until he smothered a long iron into the hazard and had to scramble for a bogey. He missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the next hole, missed the green and took bogey on the 17th and closed with a birdie for a 69. He still was only four shots behind. Simpson has made 12 of his 18 birdies this week on the back nine, and his hopes are to stay in the mix and work one more day of magic. The most intriguing character in this mix is Spieth, who a year ago didnt have status on any tour in the world. A couple of good finishes on tour through sponsor exemptions helped secure his card. He won at the John Deere Classic, finished No. 7 in the FedEx Cup, played in the Presidents Cup team and came into the week at No. 22 in the world. This figures to be a big test -- a share of the lead, contending with the defending champion and a major champion. Spieth figures he cleared a big hurdle Sunday when he didnt lose patience over a few bad breaks. He thought back to last year, when he struggled in the third round. He wasted good birdie chances on the 15th and 16th and was starting to run hot. "But I got to 17 tee box and thankfully, that view kind of calmed me down a little bit and I was able to snag a birdie there," he said. Spieth figures to need more of those Monday, as will everyone else who wants to open the year with a win and guarantee a return to Maui next year. cheap jerseys ' ' '
