MONTREAL - Defeat dampened any riotous fervour on the streets of Montreal Saturday as Canadiens fans went quietly into the night to ponder the elimination of the home team from the NHL playoffs.
A big crowd strolled downtown immediately after the Habs fell to the Philadelphia Flyers, but fans showed few signs of stirring up the kind of trouble that marked the end of the last playoff series.
Police were on high alert nearly two weeks after the riot that marked the end of the series against the Boston Bruins. An outbreak of vandalism and arson targeting police vehicles followed that Canadiens win, along with 45 arrests.
Saturday's season-ending loss seemed to drain the crowd's energy.
The bulk of the police presence left the area about an hour after the game and the crowds on downtown streets resembled those of any other Saturday night. A steady rain that began to fall just after midnight soaked any stragglers.
By midnight, police had made three arrests, two for public drunkenness and another for assault on a police officer.
"Everything is back to normal," said police spokeswoman Anie Lemieux. "There are no major incidents to report."
As the game ended, police officers were out in force on many downtown street corners and a police helicopter circled overhead.
Habs fans who streamed out of the Bell Centre after the game were already thinking about the future.
"We're going to be good next year, we've got a good farm system," said Barry Targett, who drove six hours from Guelph, Ont., for the game.
"We're looking good, I'm thinking we're two to three years away."
"Meanwhile, Matt Richman said the Canadiens deserved to win Saturday.
"I'm a diehard fan so it's pretty rough to see them lose like this," Richman said.
"(But) I have to give them credit, they had a great season. It's just always a bit disappointing to see your team lose."
The riot last month started on a jovial, victorious tone until a couple hours after the game, when vandals started torching vehicles and smashing store windows.
About 45 people were arrested over the next several days after police examined images taken from the scene and seized video and photos from local news organizations. Outraged citizens also submitted their home videos of the action.
The Habs lost to the Flyers in five games.
