It\u2019s impossible to beat the atmosphere at the Bell Centre for an NHL playoff game \u2014 and it seems to reach a new level with every game this year.<\/p>\n
The \u201cOl\u00e9! Ol\u00e9! Ol\u00e9!\u201d chants start before the players even hit the ice with rally towels waving and the fans anticipating which former Canadiens great will bring the famous torch into the building. Then the 20,962 fans drown out the anthem singer by belting out O Canada together in French and English.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s really something special.<\/p>\n
It can also be a bit overwhelming for the Canadiens players and even head coach Martin St. Louis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel that\u2019s a couple of minutes that you can really take it all in, and those are moments that you\u2019ll remember forever,\u201d St. Louis said after Sunday\u2019s morning skate at the Bell Centre ahead of Game 3 in the second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres. \u201cThat feeling is unbelievable. It\u2019s hard to describe. I think you have to be in the building. And for me, it\u2019s hard to describe on the bench what that feels like. I think you have to be on the bench, but you got to take those moments in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Captain Nick Suzuki said the pre-game reception ahead of Game 3 \u2014 which included former Canadiens captain and 1993 Stanley Cup champion Kirk Muller carrying in the torch \u2014 gave him chills.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe six of us (in the starting lineup) are standing on the blue line, and the place is going nuts,\u201d Suzuki said after the Canadiens beat the Sabres 6-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. \u201cYou can just feel the energy and I was kind of shaken from it. It\u2019s the best place to play in the whole league and we never take these atmospheres for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Canadiens looked like they were shaken by the fans when they fell behind 1-0 only 53 seconds into the game on a goal by the Sabres\u2019 Tage Thompson. But the youngest team in the playoffs bounced back yet again, getting the next four goals from Alex Newhook, Cole Caufield, Zachary Bolduc and Juraj Slafkovsky.<\/p>\n
Rasmus Dahlin cut the Canadiens\u2019 lead to 4-2 before the end of the second period, but third-period goals by Kirby Dach and Newhook (empty-netter) sealed the deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cOl\u00e9! Ol\u00e9! Ol\u00e9!\u201d<\/p>\n
The Canadiens outshot the Sabres 36-28 and continue to show that they will physically stick up for each other when the going gets tough. There were 50 minutes in penalties handed out in the last three minutes of the game, including 10-minute misconducts to the Canadiens\u2019 Bolduc and Kaiden Guhle and the Sabres\u2019 Zach Benson and Logan Stanley.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said before this (series) started: They\u2019ve beat a hell of a team (the Tampa Bay Lightning) in the first round,\u201d Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said about the Canadiens after the game. \u201cThey are a hell of a team. Don\u2019t take them for granted. If we don\u2019t realize it now, we\u2019re never going to realize it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes made 26 saves to earn the first star, improving his playoff goals-against average to 2.13 and his save percentage to .918. Dobes has not given up a third-period goal in the last six games while making 58 saves. <\/p>\n
The decibel level in the Bell Centre during a third-period TV timeout Sunday night hit 112 decibels on the scoreboard, which is the equivalent of a jet plane flyover at 300 metres or a chainsaw at three feet.<\/p>\n
The fans wouldn\u2019t let Dobes speak for almost two minutes during his on-ice interview after the game with more chants of \u201cOl\u00e9! Ol\u00e9! Ol\u00e9!\u201d followed by \u201cDo-by! Do-by!\u201d When Elizabeth Rancourt of TVA Sports was finally able to ask Dobes what he had to say to the crowd, the goalie responded: \u201c\u00c7a va?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMerci \u2026 merci beaucoup,\u201d he added. \u201cThank you guys so much. Obviously, you guys don\u2019t want me to talk. So just be ready for the next game. We\u2019ll come hard. You guys give it your all, we\u2019ll give it our all. We\u2019ll put our heart into it and we\u2019ll see you guys next game. Thank you! Merci!\u201d<\/p>\n
Game 4 will be Tuesday at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports).<\/p>\n
The fans gave veteran Canadiens defenceman Mike Matheson goosebumps before Game 3 started. <\/p>\n
\t\tEditor\u2019s Picks\t<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to avoid that,\u201d said the 32-year-old Matheson, who grew up as a Canadiens fan on Montreal\u2019s West Island and is in his fourth season with the team. \u201cBut you kind of keep trying to bring it back in, bring it back in. I don\u2019t allow myself to really look up and take it all in, but it\u2019s still pretty special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bolduc is from Trois-Rivi\u00e8res and also grew up as a Canadiens fan. He\u2019s only 23 and is in his first season with the Canadiens after being acquired from the St. Louis Blues last summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing,\u201d he said about the fans. \u201cI grew up watching it and now I have the opportunity to play for the Montreal Canadiens. It\u2019s a dream come true for me and I\u2019m happy to be here. Happy for my family. Everyone can be there and enjoy it as much as they can. It\u2019s been a fun season and we just got to keep going in the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOl\u00e9! Ol\u00e9! Ol\u00e9!\u201d <\/p>\n