Focusing on the task at hand
The Canadiens weren't about to let the looming trade deadline get in the way of their preparation for Monday night's tilt against the Devils.
They simply couldn't afford to do that, especially after the way things played out in their previous outing in Toronto.
Players wanted to keep things as routine as possible.
"It's pretty cliché to say it, but it's normal," said Gallagher, when asked about the current mood in the locker room. "We're preparing for a game. Obviously, there's a lot going on around us, but it goes by pretty quick. We come to the rink, there's a pre-game skate, you go back, you eat and you sleep and when you wake up it's all pretty much done. There's not that much time to be all that concerned about it. You get ready for a game and prepare to win a game against a good hockey club."
A veteran bench boss like Julien doesn't get distracted easily, either.
"Especially on game day, my job is still to focus on what we need to do to win," stressed Julien. "That's the most important thing right now is we need to win this hockey game. That's where my focus, my attention is."
After all, the Canadiens find themselves in a playoff spot and the battle to maintain that standing mandates a high-quality outing in the Garden State.
"I like the fact that we've played well enough to be in a playoff spot and I think we're good enough to continue being in a playoff spot. Right now, all we've got to do is show it, prove it and continue to win hockey games," said Julien. "We had a tough loss last game, so it's up to us to bounce back tonight with a really good performance and try and get some momentum here moving forward."