Montreal followers roar as Habs defeated Tampa Bay Lightning within the tense Sport four of the Stanley Cup Finals | CBC information

Montreal Hockey fans celebrated Monday with screams and cheers after Josh Anderson scored the game-winning goal in extra time to lead the Habs to a 3-2 win in Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“It took a home win to pump up the entire Habs nation and now we’re going to Tampa and we’ll be back,” Habs fan Balraj Jutla said after the win as he and hundreds of others walked the streets outside the Bell Center.

Fans had also packed the area around the stadium to watch the game on big screens.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven match is scheduled for Wednesday in Tampa. Game 6 would be back in Montreal on Friday if necessary.

There is a steep hill ahead of us, said Jutla, but added: “What is a steep hill if you have already climbed it? It’s just a hill. That’s it.”

Jutla, a born and raised Montreal native, said he was a lifetime Habs fan and seeing his team advance to the finals and now defeat the Bolts in Game 4 was “amazing”.

Crowd felt bigger, says Fan

After watching the game from the Bell Center, Mike Monture said he enjoyed the excitement but didn’t expect the Habs to win the trophy.

The Habs and Lightning played in front of about 3,500 people. The stadium typically seats more than 21,000, but seating has been restricted due to COVID-19 public health restrictions.

Regardless, said Monture, the crowd felt bigger.

It was loud and “very exciting,” said Monture as the background fans cheered and sang as they poured from the Bell Center into downtown Montreal.

CLOCK | The suspense of Game 4 in Montreal:

When the Montreal Canadiens prevented their elimination from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fourth game of the Stanley Cup Final, their fans came to life to support their team. 0:53

Sunil Peetush said he was euphoric as he watched the game and hoped his beloved team will bring the Stanley Cup home.

“If there’s a team that can do that, it has shown that it has the resilience to do it,” said Peetush. “They have this underdog mentality and maybe this is the way to go for this team.”

Sabrina Delvasto said a lot of people thought the Canadiens were going to lose and she was excited to see the win on Monday night. She said it was still possible for the Habs to win the Stanley Cup.

“I think they have a really good team this year,” said Delvasto, who was not yet born to win the Habs Cup in 1993 – the last time the team reached the playoff finals.

Before the game started, Montreal police warned that they were supported by the Sûreté du Québec provincial police and would not tolerate any criminal activity.

Police were on duty Monday night to prevent the riots from recurring on June 24 after the Habs defeated the Golden Knights of Las Vegas.

Following the victory, Montreal police used tear gas in downtown to disperse the crowd. Police said people were aggressive towards the officers and there was vandalism. Police arrested 15 people that night and issued 60 tickets for violations such as lighting fireworks.

On Monday morning, Montreal police spokesman Const. Véronique Comtois did not want to say exactly how many officers would be deployed, but made it clear that “the police officers will be ready to intervene”.

Montreal police fired tear gas canisters at fans shortly after the win on Monday. (Ivanoh Demers / Radio Canada)

Among the Habs fans who watched the game on Monday night was Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who went to the Olympic Park to watch the game on big screens.

In front of the Olympic Stadium or in the Quartier des Spectacles, the city’s cultural quarter, which has a large town square with entertainment options and art galleries, she invited residents to send positive energy to the local team.

After it was over, Plante tweeted, “Wow! What an end to the game. “