When a losing streak crosses a certain threshold, the reasons behind it cease to matter. The Montreal Canadiens seem to have crossed that threshold.
The quality of the team's play over their past four games has been worthy of probably five or six points. In claiming zero, however, the team has sent all those invested in their organization, inside and out, searching for solutions.
There are trades to be cooked up, and lines to be juggled. There are goaltending debates, and prayers to the gods of rehabilitation. But, lost in the hand-wringing, is a very real barometer of this team's quality, lying just over the horizon.