After knocking out the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games, the Montreal Canadiens are heading into the second round with momentum—and a city fully behind them.
They open their series against the Sabres Wednesday night at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, marking another step forward for one of the youngest teams still standing in the playoffs.
Back home, that momentum has taken on a life of its own. Across Montreal, storefronts are transforming, menus are evolving, and businesses are tapping into the pulse of playoff hockey—serving up creations that go far beyond the rink.
At Kettlemans Bagel, the Canadiens’ colours are being folded directly into the dough.
“We actually created a Habs-inspired bagel. So it is three doughs—red, white and blue—and we roll it all together to make it a twist, and then we sell it as our Habs bagel to support the Habs,” said marketing and communications manager Emma Latreille.
The bagels aren’t just a novelty—they’ve become part of the game-day ritual. Sold individually, as sandwiches, or packaged, they’re designed to travel from shop counters to living rooms and watch parties across the city.
“Honestly, it’s been really great. I think it creates a great sense of community with the Habs fans,” Latreille said. “We get a lot of people coming in before the game… celebrating with us.”
For her, the significance goes beyond sales.
“When a team makes it far in the playoffs… the city kind of feels a sense of pride,” she said. “It’s something where we all seem to come together and support our local team.”
In Mile End, Bernie Beigne is translating that same energy into something sweeter.
Rows of doughnuts topped with red and blue sprinkles fill the display—available in both full-sized and bite-sized versions—while a Canadiens flag hangs near the register. Not far away, a signed jersey from goaltender Jakub Dobeš anchors a wall lined with team memorabilia, turning the shop into a small but spirited fan hub.
“We made the red, white and blue Habs doughnuts. We decorated the store a bit. We’re Habs fans. We’re happy that, after 30-some years, they’re back in it, and it’s great for the city,” said partner George Giannopoulos.
The shop is expected to fill with fans in jerseys, picking up boxes for gatherings and watch parties.
“It brings people in. People are happy, in a good mood. They buy the doughnuts for their parties, their hockey night parties. It’s fantastic. It’s a great vibe… it’s really nice to see.”
Co-owner John Giannarakis says that kind of atmosphere is exactly what playoff hockey is about.
“It’s great. It brings everyone together. It brings people out to shop, to drink, to eat,” he said. “This is a time… it’s going to bring the whole city together.”
Even something as simple as a sprinkled doughnut can carry weight.
“It’s beautiful. It’s just a little doughnut with colourful sprinkles, and people are coming in, taking pictures with Dobeš and crossing their fingers,” he said. “People love it. They come in for the littlest things, and it makes them happy—it puts them in the mood.”
That same creativity is playing out beyond bakeries.
At Double’s—a bar, pool hall, and smash burger spot—the playoff run has sparked a temporary identity shift. The venue now operates as “Dobes’s,” a tribute to goaltender Jakub Dobeš, whose steady presence helped carry Montreal through the opening round.
“We renamed the bar because we were in such a creative flow,” said co-owner Victor-Alex Petrenko. “After beating Tampa Bay, the hate we have for Tampa just fueled the creative juices… and my partner just came in the clutch with Dobeš.”
The transformation came together almost instantly.
“When the Habs are winning, Montréal becomes a hive mind, and everybody starts working together.”
Inside, that collective energy has turned into something interactive. The bar has installed a mattress—an homage to a viral moment from Dobeš—as a makeshift photo booth, inviting fans to recreate the now-iconic image for themselves.
“I’m actually going to buy it for people to come take pictures on it,” Petrenko said.
A post shared by Jakub Dobeš (@4doby4)
Beyond the visuals, the space is built for the games themselves. Like every night since opening, the bar will be showing the matchup—now with even more intensity as fans pack in to watch together, turning each game into a shared event rather than a solitary one.
For Petrenko, that mix of humour, spontaneity, and fandom is exactly what makes playoff hockey in Montreal different.
“It’s been crazy,” he said. “I love that the city is really happy… I love sports. I love all of it. I love the competition.”
For fans, what they’re really chasing is a taste of something simple but powerful: a sweet victory.
“It’s playoff hockey craziness here,” said one visitor from Kelowna, British Columbia. “You can see it the minute you pull in—when I arrived at the airport, there were Canadian banners and flags everywhere, even on the backs of fire trucks. I love it. I think it’s a good vibe.”
He’s expecting a tight matchup as the series gets underway.
“I think, like the last series, it’s going to be a really great series. I think Buffalo is a great team, but I also think the Canadiens are up for it.”
Others are already looking ahead, hopeful for a deep run.
“We’re all very excited. We don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s probably going to be a tough, long series, but we’re just hoping we can revisit 1993 or 1986,” said another fan.
And while expectations vary, the intensity is something everyone agrees on.
“It is going to be intense. I watched that series with Tampa, and I was really nervous about the whole thing, but I feel really good about Buffalo. They’re up for it,” another added.
He also pointed to the way local businesses have embraced the moment.
“They’re getting behind their Montreal Canadiens. They’re getting behind the Habs. They’re ready to have the Habs go all the way, and we’re ready for the games coming up. It’s going to be great.”
From twisted tri-colour bagels to sprinkle-covered doughnuts and rebranded bars, Montreal is turning its playoff passion into something tangible—something shared.
Because in this city, a playoff run isn’t just watched.
It’s felt in the streets, carried through conversations—and, for now, served one bite at a time.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. on Sportsnet, in what promises to be a full flavoured match up.
