Nick Suzuki and Martin St-Louis watched as the Canadiens lost the game while Hurricanes fans chanted “Ole! Ole! Ole! ” against Montreal. That was the big surprise on Friday night in Raleigh.
The score was already really bad after two periods, and the atmosphere inside Lenovo Center had completely shifted.
Carolina took charge early on, picked up the pace, and left Montreal struggling to keep up.
The Hurricanes scored 3 goals in the first period and added 2 more in the second. At that point, the Canadiens weren’t just battling the score.
They were also dealing with a road crowd that felt free to cheer as they pleased.
That’s when the chant started to come back at them.
Montreal fans usually own the chant “Ole! Ole! Ole! ” but that night, the fans in Carolina took it, repeated it, and made sure the Canadiens heard it loud and clear, especially in the second period while they were down 4-0.
The Hurricanes fans found a weak spot and kept pushing it during Game 5. It wasn’t just a one-time thing. The chant happened several times in the second period as the Hurricanes kept playing strong while the Canadiens struggled to respond.
This made things even tougher for Montreal. It wasn’t just that Carolina was winning; the crowd had enough space to join in on the fun.
You could sense where this game was headed even before the third period started. The Hurricanes seemed relaxed, quick, and fully in control, while the Canadiens were stuck in their defensive zone for long periods.
Then, the fans in Carolina started chanting “Ole! Ole! Ole! ” again towards the end of the period, using it as a dig rather than a celebration.
That’s the part Montreal will take away from this experience. Having a tough night in the playoffs is one thing. Allowing the other team’s fans to change your team’s cheer into a joke is a whole different issue.
For St-Louis, that kind of moment lingers in the locker room long after the game has started. It shows how much the game shifted and how little resistance the Canadiens had when Carolina took control of the game and the speed.
The Hurricanes didn’t just control Game 5. They dominated the rink, the sound, and the overall vibe by the time the second period ended.
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