Clash at Bell Centre: Montreal Canadiens Host Calgary Flames

As the Montreal Canadiens gear up to face the Calgary Flames at the Bell Centre, fans are bracing for what could be a defining moment in their season. The Canadiens have shown a mix of resilience and vulnerability in their recent outings, which makes this upcoming game against the Flames all the more intriguing.

Looking back at their last game on November 13 against the Vancouver Canucks, it was a tough night for Montreal. Despite playing on home ice, they fell short with a final score of 5-2. The Canadiens' goaltending struggled with an .865 save percentage and they were outplayed in faceoffs, winning only 43 percent compared to Vancouver's 57 percent. This loss highlighted some critical areas that need improvement if they hope to compete with teams like Calgary.

However, not all is grim for Montreal. In an earlier match on November 12 against the Boston Bruins, they emerged victorious in overtime with a score of 3-2. Their performance was notably better; they won over half of their faceoffs and had an impressive powerplay goal conversion rate. The team's shooting percentage stood at a solid 11 percent and goaltending was strong with a .929 save percentage.

The Habs also showed promise during their game on November 10 against Detroit Red Wings where they secured another win in overtime (3-2). They dominated faceoffs with over half won and capitalized on powerplays by scoring two goals out of five opportunities.

The upcoming confrontation will test whether Montreal can maintain consistency from these past successes or if issues from their recent defeat will resurface. The Flames are known for being formidable opponents who can exploit weaknesses like those displayed by MTL during their loss to Vancouver.

For MTL to come out ahead, special attention must be given to improving faceoff win percentages and tightening up defensively to reduce giveaways which were high at nineteen during that loss. Goaltending must also return to form as seen in previous games where it proved pivotal for securing wins.

Fans should expect an intense battle as both teams vie for dominance but based on recent performances; there is cautious optimism that MTL has what it takes to overcome challenges posed by CGY if lessons from past games are heeded.

The puck drops at Bell Centre on November 15th at 7:00 PM EST – fans can catch all the action live nationally via ESPN+.