In early January, the Montreal Canadiens claimed four consecutive wins and scored at least five goals in each one. After erupting for four third-period goals in a 5-4 victory over Washington on Jan. 10, the fourth win in the streak, the Canadiens improved to 25-10-6. They were in the midst of a 9-1-1 surge, and their 56 points on the season ranked third in the Eastern Conference.

The All-Star Game in Montreal was another January highlight for the franchise, but it was in the games leading up to the All-Star break that Montreal’s season took a downturn. Since Jan. 20, when the Habs were shut down by goalie Kari Lehtonen and lost to the struggling Atlanta Thrashers, they have dropped nine of 11 games.

There are a pair of four-game losing streaks in this span, and the latest remains active after the Edmonton Oilers scored early and often in a 7-2 victory over Montreal Wednesday night. The Oilers hadn’t scored more than three goals in any of their previous seven games, but they found the net four times in the first period on Wednesday to stick Montreal with its seventh straight road defeat.

Scoring hasn’t come easy of late for the Canadiens, as well. They scored just two goals in each of the four most recent losses, and have tallied more than two only three times during their 2-9-0 skid.

In this stretch, the Canadiens have been outscored 48-25. With three goals, rookie Matt D’Agostini is the only Hab with more than a pair during this span. Goaltender Carey Price, who missed the first three weeks of January with an ankle injury, returned at the start of the slide and has posted a 3.87 GAA and .864 save percentage.

The Canadiens have picked up just eight team points in the last month, and they have fallen to sixth in the conference standings, just four points ahead of the eighth-seeded Florida Panthers. After lopsided road losses to Calgary (6-2) and Edmonton (7-2) this week, Montreal’s promising season may be on the rocks.

A six-game road trip continues with stops in Colorado and Vancouver this weekend -- with the seven-game road losing streak in tow -- and then it’s on to Washington and Pittsburgh next week. The 2008-09 season could become a lost one if the Canadiens can’t snap a pair of losing streaks sooner rather than later.