Police called as Canadiens playoff crowd erupts outside Centre Bell
Montreal police were called to Centre Bell on Friday night after a smoke device was set off in the crowd gathered outside the arena during Game 3 between the Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Thousands of fans without tickets had packed the streets of downtown Montreal to watch on the outdoor screens.
The atmosphere was already buzzing. The Canadiens had just taken a lead in the building when it happened outside.
Someone set off what was described as a smoke device directly in the middle of a dense crowd of fans celebrating on the plaza.
Police arrived quickly and in numbers. No confirmed arrests or injuries had been reported at the time of publication.
It is worth noting: this is the first home playoff game in Montreal in years. People are going to come out in massive numbers. The city and the league both know that.
Series tied 1-1 as Bell Centre hosts its first playoff game of the 2026 postseason
On the ice, the series between Montreal and Tampa Bay is genuinely tight. The Canadiens won Game 1 in overtime at Amalie Arena, Tampa answered with an overtime win of their own in Game 2. Even series, home ice now in play.
Juraj Slafkovsky has been Montreal's most dangerous forward through two games, scoring all three of his playoff goals including a game-winner. All three came on the power play.
Nick Suzuki has three assists but sits at minus-3. Cole Caufield is in the exact same position, three helpers and no goals at minus-3.
Josh Anderson quietly has two goals and is plus-2. That is the kind of secondary contribution that shifts a series when your top line is not finishing.
Lane Hutson has a goal and an assist on the blue line, and Noah Dobson is listed day-to-day with an upper-body issue. Martin St-Louis is managing his back end with one of his top defenders in uncertain shape.
Tampa Bay finished the regular season at 50-26-6 with a goal differential of plus-59. They are not going to fold easily on the road.
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Montreal was 24-9-8 away from the Bell Centre in the regular season. Now they get two straight at home, starting tonight, with Game 4 set for Sunday.
The energy in this city is real. Game 3 was already going to be loud. What happens outside the building during a playoff run is something the city will need to manage carefully the rest of the way.
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APRIL 24, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Kirby Dach | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brayden Point | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alexandre Texier | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jake Guentzel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Arber Xhekaj | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Declan Carlile | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Cole Caufield | - | - | - | |
| Erik Cernak | - | - | - | |
| Anthony Cirelli | - | - | - | |
| Phillip Danault | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Demidov | - | - | - | |
| Jakub Dobes | - | - | - | |
| Jake Evans | - | - | - | |
| Zemgus Girgensons | - | - | - | |
| Gage Goncalves | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||