Buffalo, NY—–Montreal Canadiens are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals thanks to another unforgettable Game 7 moment from Alex Newhook.
Newhook scored the game-winning goal 11:22 into overtime Monday night to lift Montreal to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center, sending the Canadiens to the NHL semifinal round for the first time since 2021.
The overtime winner marked Newhook’s second Game 7-clinching goal of the postseason, further cementing his growing reputation as one of the playoffs’ most clutch performers.
The decisive play developed after Buffalo’s Tage Thompson and captain Rasmus Dahlin misplayed the puck near Montreal’s blue line. Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier quickly transitioned the puck up the ice and found Newhook streaking into the offensive zone with a cross-ice feed.
As teammate Jake Evans drove toward the net to create traffic in front of goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Newhook snapped a perfectly placed shot inside the far post to end the series and ignite a massive Canadiens celebration.
The goal was Newhook’s seventh of the postseason, tying him for the team lead.
Just weeks removed from missing three months with a broken ankle earlier in the season, Newhook has become one of Montreal’s postseason heroes. His latest overtime winner came after another crucial Game 7 performance in the opening round against Tampa Bay, when he scored the decisive late goal to eliminate the Lightning.
With the victory, Newhook joined a rare group of NHL players to record multiple Game 7 game-winning goals during a single postseason.
Montreal Canadiens are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals thanks to another unforgettable Game 7 moment from Alex Newhook.
Newhook scored the game-winning goal 11:22 into overtime Monday night to lift Montreal to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center, sending the Canadiens to the NHL semifinal round for the first time since 2021.
The overtime winner marked Newhook’s second Game 7-clinching goal of the postseason, further cementing his growing reputation as one of the playoffs’ most clutch performers.
The decisive play developed after Buffalo’s Tage Thompson and captain Rasmus Dahlin misplayed the puck near Montreal’s blue line. Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier quickly transitioned the puck up the ice and found Newhook streaking into the offensive zone with a cross-ice feed.
As teammate Jake Evans drove toward the net to create traffic in front of goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Newhook snapped a perfectly placed shot inside the far post to end the series and ignite a massive Canadiens celebration.
The goal was Newhook’s seventh of the postseason, tying him for the team lead.
Just weeks removed from missing three months with a broken ankle earlier in the season, Newhook has become one of Montreal’s postseason heroes. His latest overtime winner came after another crucial Game 7 performance in the opening round against Tampa Bay, when he scored the decisive late goal to eliminate the Lightning.
With the victory, Newhook joined a rare group of NHL players to record multiple Game 7 game-winning goals during a single postseason.
Montreal appeared in control early Monday after first-period goals from Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc gave the Canadiens a 2-0 advantage. But Buffalo battled back behind goals from Jordan Greenway and Dahlin, whose third-period equalizer forced overtime and energized the home crowd.
Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes rebounded impressively after struggling in Game 6. Dobes stopped 37 shots Monday night and improved to 6-0 this postseason following a loss.
Montreal also continued a remarkable trend, avoiding back-to-back defeats since mid-March.
The Canadiens now improve to 17-9 all-time in Game 7s, surpassing Boston for the most Game 7 victories in NHL playoff history.
For Buffalo, the heartbreaking defeat ended what had otherwise been a breakthrough season. Under head coach Lindy Ruff, the Sabres captured the Atlantic Division title and ended the NHL’s longest active playoff drought after missing the postseason for 14 straight years.
Despite the disappointment, Buffalo’s young core showed major progress throughout the season and playoff run, including a first-round series victory over Boston — the franchise’s first playoff series win since 2007.
Now the Canadiens turn their attention to the Carolina Hurricanes, who await in the Eastern Conference Finals after sweeping each of their first two playoff series. Carolina enters the matchup having not played since May 9, giving the Hurricanes an NHL-record 11-day layoff between postseason games.
Montreal, however, enters the series riding momentum and confidence behind a resilient roster that continues to exceed expectations.
Newhook said the Canadiens believe in the way the team has come together during the postseason and are determined to keep their playoff run going.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is set for Thursday in Carolina.
