Canadian Tire Centre Hosts Ottawa Senators vs Montreal Canadiens Showdown

As the Ottawa Senators gear up to face the Montreal Canadiens at the Canadian Tire Centre, fans are looking forward to what promises to be an electrifying match-up. The Senators, coming off a thrilling overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 24th with a score of 5-4, have shown they can hold their nerve in high-pressure situations.

The Senators' performance in that game was marked by resilience and offensive prowess. Despite being outshot 34-26, they managed to convert their opportunities with an impressive shooting percentage of 19 percent compared to the Penguins' 12 percent. The powerplay unit struggled without scoring on any of their four chances, but it was even-strength play where the Senators shined, netting all five goals.

In contrast, when looking at their previous away game against the Colorado Avalanche on December 22nd where they lost with a score of 6-4 despite firing off an impressive number of shots (45), it's clear that converting chances into goals has been inconsistent for OTT this season. Their powerplay did manage one goal from six opportunities which is something they'll want to improve upon.

OTT's goaltending has been solid if not spectacular; during these past games, save percentages were decent but there is room for improvement especially when playing shorthanded as evidenced by allowing four goals during penalty kills against Colorado.

The Canadiens will present a challenge as any storied rival would. However, based on recent performances and statistics from both teams’ past games – particularly OTT’s ability to capitalize on scoring chances despite fewer shots – there is reason for optimism among Senator fans.

Defensively speaking though, there are concerns; OTT gave away more penalties than MTL in recent matches which could prove costly if not addressed. Discipline will be key in ensuring that they do not give MTL too many powerplay opportunities where they could potentially take advantage and swing momentum in their favor.

Looking ahead at this upcoming clash between two Canadian hockey titans – one thing seems certain: If OTT can maintain discipline while continuing to exploit every scoring opportunity as efficiently as they have shown capable of doing recently then victory could very well be within reach come game night.

Fans eager to catch this battle should mark January 19th on their calendars when these two teams face off at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa at midnight Eastern Time (ET). The game will also be available nationally via ESPN+ streaming services for those who prefer watching online from home or elsewhere.