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ANAHEIM — It was only the eighth game of the season, but for the Canadiens it was already a big one.

Coach Claude Julien even admitted that after the team’s morning skate Friday at the Honda Center before facing the Anaheim Ducks.

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“It is big,” Julien said. “You don’t want to go back (home) having lost three games. We need to find a way to win hockey games … it’s as simple as that. How important is this game? I think how important is our team to play better is what we’re looking at right now because it’s not good enough.

“We’re a much better team than what we’ve shown so far,” the coach added. “This group can be much better and it has to show people that it is much better by having a better commitment to certain areas and that’s what we need to do here tonight.”

The Canadiens sure didn’t play like it was a big game — especially in the first period — eventually losing 6-2 for their seventh straight defeat and their third on the California road trip as their record dropped to 1-6-1. The only team in the NHL with a worse record than the Canadiens now is the Arizona Coyotes, who are 0-6-1.