There's Nothing Like Playoff Hockey in Montreal

A few days ago, I was reading Cole Caufield’s article on The Players' Tribune where he was trying to get the Montreal Canadiens crowd ready for Game 3 of their playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

To break it down in simple terms, he was basically saying there’s playoff hockey, and then there’s playoff hockey in Montreal.

And honestly, as biased as it sounds, I think that was on full display last night.

Whether it’s the pre-game introductions, honouring legends like Yvan Cournoyer who brough out the torch to the crowd to let the current players know it’s their time to carry the legacy of this iconic franchise. It sounds crazy, but it just hits different in Montreal.

Sure, they’ve done flashier things in the past (2014 is still my favourite, and I'll put the video below), but the way they do it now feels more subtle, more classy, and still just as hype.

Habs 2014 Playoff Intro:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7DNau3UBqQ&t=6s

It’s the crowd waving towels, yelling “Olé, Olé, Olé” as the team comes out with Coldplay's "Fix You" blasting everywhere. It’s 20,000 people inside the Bell Centre going crazy, and probably just as many, if not more, outside in the streets of downtown Montreal.

I’ve seen other great playoff crowds get their love over the past few years, like in Buffalo this year and Edmonton during their past two cup runs. Hell, even here in Vancouver, and they’ve been amazing.

But like Caufield said, there’s playoff hockey, and then there’s playoff hockey in Montreal.

I’m not guaranteeing the Habs win this series, I’m still very aware of how dangerous Tampa Bay is. But the further this team goes, the more people are going to realize just how loud and how special the Bell Centre atmosphere really is, and why it stands out from anywhere else in the NHL.