Alex Newhook ended Game 7 in overtime, scoring at 11:22 to give the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday at KeyBank Center, sending Montreal to the Eastern Conference Final.
Newhook took a cross-ice feed from Alexandre Carrier, moved into the left circle, and beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with a low wrist shot to the glove side. This moment marked Newhook’s second series-clinching goal in a Game 7 this postseason, as he also delivered the winner in Montreal’s first-round decider against Tampa Bay.
Canadiens’ Strong Start and Buffalo’s Comeback
Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc scored in the first period, giving the Canadiens, the Atlantic Division’s No. 3 seed, a 2-0 lead. Danault opened the scoring at 4:30 when Kaiden Guhle’s centering pass deflected in off Danault’s skate after Josh Anderson won a race to the puck below the goal line. Bolduc made it 2-0 at 14:29 on a power play, wiring a one-timer from the right circle off a slick backhand setup from Nick Suzuki.
However, Buffalo, the Atlantic’s top seed, responded with two goals to force overtime. Jordan Greenway cut the deficit to 2-1 at 13:19 of the second period when a high-slot shot by Mattias Samuelsson deflected off Greenway as he screened in front. Rasmus Dahlin tied it 2-2 at 6:27 of the third, finishing a feed from Owen Power with a one-timer from low in the left circle to the short side.
Jakub Dobes made 37 saves for Montreal, rebounding after being pulled in the third period of an 8-3 loss in Game 6. Luukkonen stopped 22 shots for Buffalo, showcasing a tense matchup between two skilled goaltenders.
The Canadiens will face the Metropolitan Division’s top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Game 1 is scheduled for Thursday in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In noteworthy statistics, Newhook is the second player in NHL history to record multiple series-clinching goals in Game 7s in a single postseason, joining Nathan Horton from the 2011 Boston team. Additionally, Dobes is the third goaltender in Canadiens history to win two Game 7s in one postseason and the sixth rookie in NHL history to achieve this milestone.