Well at least hockey-hungry Montreal finally got a taste of a victory

The limited attendance was announced as 3,500, but it sounded more like a capacity crowd of 21,288 at Bell Center in hockey-mad Montreal.

It wasn’t just when Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson scored the first and final goals that forced a game five Wednesday night on the home ice of the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning. They were hoping to wrap this one up in a four-game sweep, but Montreal had other ideas.

And the crowds inside and outside voiced their support early and continued through the night after Anderson scored the game-winner 3:57 into overtime

for the 3-2 triumph that was the Canadiens first since getting past Vegas Golden Knights to win the NHL’s Eastern Conference.

The most successful franchise in the NHL, Montreal has hoisted the Stanley Cup 24 times and has made 33 appearances, but the last time was 28 years ago, which was also the last time any Canadian team won it.

So no doubt these fans were hungry to taste a victory, and when they got it, raised their happy voices and hugged, jumped, kissed and celebrated. This team had entered the playoffs as a fourth-seed, a 500-1 shot to win the Stanley Cup, and with the worse record of the playoff entries.

But it took the ice behind a rousing welcome inside and outside and attacked, got more aggressive, and then took the lead for the first time when Anderson found the goal in the opening period. He later tallied his second OT goal after he forced a turnover at the blue line and outraced Jan Butta and Yanni Gourde to a loose puck along the left boards.

Anderson then directed the puck towards rookie teammate Cole Caufield, who got a piece of it but pushed it aside. Anderson then jumped back in front and knocked the puck past goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy inside the left post and his bench vaulted on to the ice, while inside and outside came continuous roars.

In the first three games, the Canadiens were outscored 14-5, and that included a sloppy 6-3 defeat in Friday’s game 3. But this time they got off to a better start, with goalie Carey Price stopped a dozen shots in the opening period and Anderson broke the ice to score at 15:38 for his team’s initial lead of the finals.

Though the Lightning rallied twice to force ties, Montreal never relinquished it. More important, the Canadiens penalty killers went 5-for-5 that included a 4-minute, high-sticking penalty issued to their team captain, Shea Weber with 1:01 remaining in regulation.

Meanwhile, the venue that usually fills up, got louder, more animated, and outside the thousands chanted in English and French, held up signs that the television audience picked up, and never shut down. There was limited space in Montreal Plaza, but people made room.

The team with the worse record among the 16 qualifiers rallied after being down 3-1 in games to the conference winning Toronto Maple Leafs, then swept the 3rd-seeded Winnipeg Jets in the second round and ousted Vegas in six games of the semifinals to gain its first final appearance in almost three decades. It improved to 8-1 when facing elimination on home ice in the final.

Said Anderson in the joyful locker room, “We’re not finished yet.”

Tampa Bay, which got past the New York Islanders in seven games of its Western Conference semis, took 34 shots on goal, the Canadiens 21. Montreal sent in order, 5-9-5-2 shots on goal, the Lightning 12-8-10-4.

Vasilevskiy made 18 saves, Price 32. Time of game: 2:46. Tampa Bay was 0-for-5 in power plays, Montreal 0-1.

And hockey survives in Montreal for another night. and Its die-hard fans can only hope as their team heads for Florida, the Canadiens facing survival again and for the Lightning, it’s one and done for a second consecutive title.