Can the Montreal Canadiens Bounce Back After a Shootout Heartbreaker at Wells Fargo Center?

The Montreal Canadiens, with a record of 20-15, faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers, who held a 17-18 record. The game ended in a nail-biting shootout with the final score of 3-2 in favor of the Flyers.

The Canadiens started strong, netting two goals in the first period and setting an aggressive pace. Their offense was on display as they managed to put up 19 shots throughout the game. The team's shooting accuracy was notable with a shooting percentage of 10 percent. Defensively, they blocked an impressive number of shots at 27 and delivered 24 hits during play.

Montreal's goaltender had an outstanding performance between the pipes, saving all but two of the Flyers' staggering 39 shots on goal for a save percentage that rounded up to perfect. Despite this effort, it was not enough to secure victory as both teams were deadlocked after regulation and overtime.

In terms of special teams play, Montreal had one powerplay opportunity but failed to capitalize on it. They won only 46 percent of faceoffs overall which might have contributed to their inability to maintain control during critical moments.

On the other side, Philadelphia matched Montreal's intensity by also scoring two goals before regulation ended. They took advantage of their powerplays scoring once out of two opportunities which proved crucial in keeping them in contention throughout regular time.

The deciding factor came down to shootout skills where Philadelphia edged out Montreal with one goal scored compared to none by Montreal despite both teams having three attempts each.

As fans look ahead, they can mark their calendars for when the Canadiens will take on San Jose Sharks at Bell Centre in Montreal on January 12th. This upcoming match will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN+ and locally for away fans on NBCS-CA channel 698 starting at midnight Eastern Time according to international standard date format.