The Montreal Canadiens are headed to the Eastern Conference Final after a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 on Monday night. Alex Newhook once again played the hero, scoring his second series-clinching goal of the playoffs, this time 11:22 into overtime to eliminate the Sabres and advance the Canadiens in spectacular fashion.
Montreal, the youngest team to reach the conference final since the 1993 Canadiens, continues to defy expectations. Newhook’s winner marked the first time in franchise history the team has captured a Game 7 on the road in overtime, adding another chapter to their storied playoff legacy. After the game, he was asked a couple of times about how confident he is in this team, being that he’s the only player on it to have this level of playoff experience. “I think we have all the pieces. We believe in each other.”
The Canadiens jumped out early, with Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc giving them a 2-0 lead in the first period. However, Buffalo pushed back hard. Jordan Greenway cut the deficit in the second, and captain Rasmus Dahlin tied the game in the third to force overtime.
Goaltender Jakub Dobeš was a difference-maker once again. After being pulled in Game 6, the rookie responded with 37 saves, becoming the first Canadiens rookie netminder since Ken Dryden to win multiple Game 7s in a single postseason. He gave credit to the Sabres for playing a tough series and said after the game that the tests are only going to get harder, and they need to reset. When asked how he was feeling and if a series like this was taxing, he responded, “Me? Oh, I could play 40 more.”
Montreal now faces the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, opening Thursday in Raleigh. Despite being underdogs again, the Canadiens carry momentum—and a perfect 3-0 regular-season record against Carolina—into the next round.
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