Smoke screen: There was more commotion outside the Bell Centre than on the ice

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Smoke screen: There was more commotion outside the Bell Centre than on the ice
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Are you surprised that Game 3 of the series between the Lightning and the Canadiens wasn't as physical as the previous games in Florida?

Note: There was still some physical play and questionable hits. But it wasn't a game where the Lightning players were attacking the Canadiens players throughout the entire match like in the previous games.

It still happened here and there… and Phillip Danault can attest to that.

Was the Lightning intimidated by the Bell Centre? Did the presence of guys like Josh Anderson, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, and company have an effect?

Maybe.

It left a little more room for hockey than usual, and the Canadiens came out on top. That undoubtedly delighted the fans who had the chance to attend the game at the Bell Centre.

The atmosphere was pretty wild in the Temple.

But let's not forget the fans who chose to gather outside the Bell Centre to watch the game. They, too, helped create a lively atmosphere in the city.

Unfortunately, things got out of hand when a smoke bomb was thrown after the Canadiens' first goal. There was more commotion outside than on the ice inside, which isn't good news.

But despite that, yesterday's game reminded us just how much the playoffs in Montreal change everything. Montreal is all about hockey now more than ever, and the Tampa Bay guys need to realize that more than ever.

And the good news: yesterday's win will allow the Canadiens to play at least one more playoff game at the Bell Centre this year. Whether it's against Tampa Bay… or in the second round.


In a nutshell

– Heads up.

– Note to self.

– Wow.

– Well done.

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