108 decibels lift Canadiens at Centre Bell
Montreal’s centre bell rattled at 108 decibels after Game 3, and the Canadiens fed off it in their overtime win against Tampa Bay. The crowd noise became part of the series itself, with Montreal set to try to close things out at home on Friday.
Kirby Dach Uses the Surge
Kirby Dach said the atmosphere helped turn the building into an edge for the home side. “It definitely meant a lot,” he said after Game 3. “We pulled together and used the crowd to our advantage.”
The Canadiens center’s words matched the scoreline at ice level. Montreal’s overtime win in Game 3 came with the jumbotron reading 108 decibels, a number that lined up with the way the building sounded during the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Jon Cooper Feels the Pressure
That sound did not go unnoticed on the other bench. Ahead of last Friday’s game, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said, “We’re not playing against the fans, we’re playing against the Montreal Canadiens.”
At Centre Bell, the noise was not limited to goals. Fans cheered hits and saves, then whistled for timely poke checks and smart dumps to get a change. A questionable penalty or Nikita Kucherov stepping on the ice drew a tidal wave from 21,000 red-sweatered fans.
Centre Bell’s Long Memory
The setting has been built for that kind of reaction. The Bell Centre carries the blood red, royal blue and ice white tied to 24 Stanley Cups, with championship banners and retired sweaters crowding the rafters. Diane Bibeau has been piping in ambience there since 1987.
Jayden Struble said the effect spreads quickly through the group. “It’s contagious,” he said last Friday night. “It’s the loudest building you’ve ever seen.”
Yvan Cournoyer was in the building on Friday and opened the game. Montreal now had a chance to finish the series at home in Game 6, with the same crowd that reached 108 decibels after Game 3 ready to decide whether the building stays as loud as it looked against Tampa Bay.
