The Montreal Canadiens saw their winless skid extended to six games in a 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.

The Canadiens picked up just five points in the month of January and currently sit last in the NHL after reaching the Stanley Cup Final last year. 

While the playoffs are completely out sight for Montreal, forward Brendan Gallagher said the team must keep fighting as the campaign continues.

"Losing's not easy," Gallagher said after Sunday's loss. "Obviously, expectations are different right now than they were coming into the season or any other season. It doesn't change the fact that you want to win hockey games. It's frustrating. 

"You want to be able to leave the rink feeling good about yourself and when you're losing you're searching for solutions, and it's not there. But we're going to keep working, keep trying to find that environment. The one thing you can never lose is your culture. The minute losing feels normal or you're numb to losing, you're probably playing the wrong sport."

Sunday's game marked the third straight in which head coach Dominique Ducharme pulled his starting goaltender. This time Samuel Montembeault was replaced by Cayden Primeau after he gave up three goals on seven shots. Primeau allowed three goals on 29 shots in relief.

“At the end of the day, I have to go with the game that’s in front of me,” Ducharme said. “Our goalies are part of the solution, so they can bring energy in a way that’s different from the players in front of them. Everyone needs to do their job.”

The Canadiens now have a week off before returning to the ice on Feb. 8 against the New Jersey Devils. Ducharme said he's hopeful the Canadiens will get some relief on the injury front at that time.

“We obviously would’ve liked to end on a different note but it will be good to have some time,” Ducharme said. "Maybe we’ll have players back after the break. We’ll see, but that can be a positive.”