Playoff hockey with a sellout crowd returns to Montreal for the first time since 2017

When the Canadiens made their improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, hockey-mad Montreal did not even get to enjoy it properly in person.

Because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, there were no fans in the stands for the first round and the start of the second, with limited crowds of 2,500 and then 3,500 allowed inside Bell Centre later that spring and into the summer.

“It was a bummer that that building wasn’t packed full like it should be,” said former Canadiens goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who now plays for Washington.

Bell Centre will be packed full Friday night when the Canadiens host the Capitals in Game 3 of their first-round series, marking the return of a sellout crowd in Montreal for the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

“I’ve thought about it, yeah,” Habs forward Jake Evans said. “It’s going to be awesome.”

The Canadiens led the NHL in attendance this season by selling out all 41 home games with a crowd of 21,105 including some of the most intense and passionate fans in professional sports.

“When you step out on the ice, for myself, I get goosebumps every time,” defenseman Mike Matheson said Thursday. “It just feels like something got injected into your veins that gives you a lot of energy.”

It’s an energy Matheson and his teammates hope gives them a boost as they trail two games to none.

Anthony Beauvillier, who grew up about an hour away from downtown Montreal, thinks it will be crazy, and he and his Capitals teammates are prepared for madness.

“I know what it’s going to be like because I’ve tried it,” said Washington center Lars Eller, who played for Montreal from 2011-16. “It’s, I think, one of the best arenas, maybe the best, to experience as a player. It’s just fun.”

Eller said the steepness of the stairs at Bell Centre — a hockey cathedral with an electric atmosphere befitting of its predecessor, the Montreal Forum — makes the crowd feel right on top of the rink. He also thinks the capacity over 21,000 contributes to making it such an imposing place to play.

And the people are knowledgeable and care about the Canadiens almost as though they are a life-and-death matter.

“It’s all hockey,” said Lindgren, who spent his first six years as a pro in the Montreal organization. “I compared it to the Yankees or the Lakers. It’s a premier fan base, an elite fan base. They love the game. It’s essentially like a religion up there. They just absolutely cheer for the Habs. They love the Habs. When they suck, they hate the Habs. But they just truly love the game of hockey.”

There was far more hate the previous three seasons, when Montreal finished in last place each time. Matheson recalls home games in the spring when the team was out of contention and being down big in a meaningless game when the crowd would try to jolt some life into the Canadiens, something they need right about now to avoid getting pushed to the brink of elimination.

“I think that’s a testament to how special they are as fans,” Matheson said. “I know every guy around the league talks about their fans as being the best in the league, but to me that’s proof right there. I fully expect them to be another level (Friday) night, but it’s in times like those that you really see who your friends are, and I feel like we’ve got a lot of them.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl