“It’s just unbelievable, the atmosphere,” Jake Guentzel admitted after the USA’s clash against Canada in February, that playing at the Centré Bell was an experience of a lifetime. And it was, even for the fans. For two nights in a row at the inaugural 4-Nations Face-off, the American national anthem was booed at the Montreal Canadiens‘ home ground, and we all remember what happened next when both the giants met for the first time at the round-robin format. And now, the venue once again beckons hockey fans for the playoff thriller between the Washington Capitals and the Canadiens. It looks like one national journo is convinced: the Centré Bell is the place to be.

The Washington Capitals clinched the Atlantic Division top seed and secured their berth in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs in March. Montreal, on the other hand, became the second wild card entry from the Eastern Conference. After two back-to-back defeats in Games 1 and 2, held at the Capital One Arena, the Habs are back in familiar territory and just hours ago, picked up their first win in the seven-game series. And the fans were over the moon. Their echoes boomed through Centré Bell, and one hockey connoisseur couldn’t help but think if it was something truly one-of-a-kind.

The Athletic‘s Scott Wheeler posted on X on April 25, highlighting how the Habs’ home ground enthralled him with its ambience. “Is the Bell Centre the best atmosphere in all of North American professional sports?” Wheeler wrote in a mesmerized tone that could hardly hide his feelings. Good place to start your fight back against the Washington Capitals, eh? In his social media update, Wheeler also admitted that his admiration for the Canadiens’ home ground is high despite not having a proper idea about how big some sports are in the US.

“I’m not dialled in enough on the NFL/college sports in the U.S. to say it conclusively, but it’s a better show than anything in the NBA or MLB,” Wheeler noted, calling the Centré Bell an “unbelievable” place to be. However, while his ignorance of college sports and the NFL, or disregard for the NBA and the MLB, might have some rationale, one thing’s for sure: the Bell never disappoints, and it didn’t tonight either.

The Washington Capitals faced their first setback of the 2025 playoffs just hours ago. Riding high on a 2-0 lead in Round 1, the Caps arrived at Centré Bell with all guns blazing. What’s more, captain Alex Ovechkin proved why he was destined to break Wayne Gretzky‘s 894 career goal record by scoring yet another playoff goal today. And still, the night ended in heartbreak for Spencer Carbery‘s boys as the Habs walked away from the match with a definitive 6-3 victory, cutting the Capitals’ lead in the series by half. But the final result was hardly the biggest highlight in the skating rink.

The Centré Bell wooed even the Washington Capitals’ main man

Just moments before the second period ended, Washington’s Tom Wilson and the Habs’ Josh Anderson got into a brawl at the visitors’ bench. A remarkable moment, since bench fights aren’t exactly a run-of-the-mill product at hockey matches. The fans went haywire as the scenes unfolded, but hey, we aren’t complaining! But the whole package is what makes hockey a beautiful game, and it even took Coach Spencer by surprise.

In the post-match presser, Carbery revealed what it was for him to experience the Centré Bell’s unique atmosphere by himself. The Washington Capitals’ head coach was asked how he felt seeing the fans’ energy and the enthusiasm they displayed during the match. “I thought it was excellent. I thought, ‘Loud’. You could tell the passion of the fans. It’s nothing that you don’t know and hear about,” the Caps’ boss didn’t hesitate to hand it to his opponents for setting up the perfect stage fit for a high-stakes match of the playoffs.

However, in the same presser, Carbery also noted that it was lax on their part to let the game slip out of their grasp. But it’s not like it’s the end of the line for Washington. There are still four more games to go, and the Canadiens’ head coach, Martin St. Louis, believes Alex Ovechkin’s squad is “the best team in the league.” Quite the applause to live up to!

Do you think the Capitals will get their mojo back when the two Eastern Conference heavyweights meet for Game 4 on Sunday? Share your predictions for the upcoming bout below!