Bell Centre Showdown: Montreal Canadiens Face Pittsburgh Penguins

As the Montreal Canadiens prepare to host the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Bell Centre, fans are eager to see how their team will fare in this matchup. The Canadiens have had a mixed bag of results in their recent games, and they'll be looking to improve upon their performance.

In their last game against the Nashville Predators, despite a strong showing with 37 shots on goal and winning 56 percent of faceoffs, the Canadiens fell short with a narrow loss. They managed only one goal and will need to find ways to convert opportunities into points. Their powerplay was not effective enough, failing to score despite five opportunities.

The previous game saw better fortunes for Montreal as they secured a win against the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout after tying in regular time. They showed resilience by bouncing back from two goals down in the third period and ultimately triumphing in the shootout. This victory was backed by an impressive goaltending performance with 46 saves.

However, before that win came a tough defeat at home against the Los Angeles Kings where Montreal failed to score any goals while conceding four. Despite winning 60 percent of faceoffs that night, they couldn't capitalize on three powerplay chances given.

The upcoming game presents an opportunity for redemption at home ice where fan support can provide an extra boost. The Canadiens have shown they can be competitive when it comes down to tight situations like shootouts but need consistency throughout all periods.

Defensively, goaltending has been solid but will need continued support from skaters blocking shots and reducing giveaways which have been problematic in past games. Offensively, converting on powerplays could be key as well as increasing shot accuracy which has been low recently.

Fans can catch this exciting NHL action live from Bell Centre on December 14th through SportsNet PT or stream it via ESPN+.