“It’s been a tough three years”: Josh Anderson's silence is deafening as Montreal Canadiens close in on playoffs while the crowd goes wild

Canadian professional ice hockey winger for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League, Josh Anderson, let the Bell Centre crowd speak for itself after his team's dominant 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The win, which propelled the Canadiens into playoff position, elicited deafening thunderous applause that was many times louder than words.

In a few sentences after a postgame interview, Anderson was asked what it was like to be in the playoff hunt. Rather than answering immediately, he smiled and savoured the electric atmosphere as fans roared wildly during the close-to-one-minute celebration.
When he finally spoke, what he had to say was concise but sincere.
“It's pretty amazing," Anderson said. "Obviously, this is the best crowd you're going to get in the NHL. We're so lucky to play in front of you guys each and every night. We want to play in the playoffs; play in front of you guys.”
In the postgame press conference, Anderson shared how the crowd’s support gives him goosebumps. “It’s been a tough three years, and they [fans] have patiently waited. They deserve a lot. We as a team will do everything we can to make a push.” He said.

Speaking about his team, he acknowledged how each teammate plays a big role. “Everybody is really fighting for each other,” he added. “It’s a special group, that’s for sure.”

Montreal's win was paced by a franchise-record five goals in the third period, with Anderson setting the tone by registering two, an empty-netter to seal the win among them. Montreal Canadien centre and Captain Nick Suzuki got the scoring started with a power-play marker, tapping one in following a net-front scramble with under five minutes remaining.
“We just kind of came in here after the second period, just tried to settle down,” Suzuki said. “I think we knew we hadn’t really brought our best hockey.”

The Canadiens (33-27-7, 73 points) moved into second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference with the victory, a point ahead of the New York Rangers, who trail by one point despite playing two more games.
Josh Anderson credited the comeback victory to the team's confidence and determination. “We were confident in our abilities to come back,” Anderson explained. “We just wanted to keep pressing, and that’s what we did.”
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As the playoff push continues, the Canadiens are proving they have both the fan base and resiliency to make a solid push towards the playoffs.