Canadiens fire coach Claude Julien amid losing stretch

MONTREAL (AP) — The struggling Montreal Canadiens have fired head coach Claude Julien and associate coach Kirk Muller. Assistant coach Dominique Ducharme has been appointed interim coach. Alex Burrows has also been added to the Canadiens’ coaching staff. After a one-week break in their schedule, the Canadiens have lost three in a row. They’ve lost six of their last eight after a strong start. A 5-4 shootout loss in Ottawa against the Senators on Tuesday night marked the end of the line for Julien. Montreal sits in fourth place in the NHL’s North Division made up of all Canadian teams.