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During the first intermission of Saturday’s game between the Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins at the Bell Centre, an interesting question was brought up in the press lounge: Are the Canadiens in a slump, or is this their identity?

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The last time we provided the Canadiens with a report card, the team checked in with straight As after the first 20 games.

But as the National Hockey League season reached the midway point this week, the only good thing to say about the Canadiens is they work hard on most nights, but the results have been lacking.

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After a 3-1 loss to the Penguins it sure seems like the latter.

Since the beginning of December, the Canadiens have a 5-13 record. They haven’t even picked up a loser point during that span by getting to overtime or a shootout. And they haven’t won two games in a row since the end of November.