Canadiens advance to Eastern Conference finals after Newhook’s overtime winner
Alex Newhook scores 11 minutes into extra time to secure 3-2 victory over Sabres, setting up series against Carolina Hurricanes.
The Montreal Canadiens have advanced to the Eastern Conference finals after defeating the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in overtime in Game 7 of their first-round series. Alex Newhook scored the winning goal 11 minutes and 22 seconds into the extra period, marking his second Game 7-winning goal of the postseason. The victory ends a historic playoff run for Buffalo, who ended a 14-year drought and won their first Atlantic Division title this season.
Montreal established an early advantage, with Phillip Danault deflecting Kaiden Guhle’s shot into the net 4 minutes and 30 seconds into the game. Zack Bolduc extended the lead 10 minutes later with a one-timer assisted by Nick Suzuki. Buffalo responded in the second period when Mattias Samuelsson scored after his shot grazed Jordan Greenway and went past goaltender Jakub Dobes. Rasmus Dahlin tied the game 6 minutes and 27 seconds into the third period, assisted by Owen Power.
Dobes made 37 saves for Montreal, while Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen recorded 22 saves. Newhook, who also scored the decisive goal in Game 7 against Tampa Bay, described the feeling of scoring back-to-back Game 7 winners as "crazy" but noted the team played well enough to win. He credited the fans in Montreal for their support throughout the series.
The Canadiens will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals, a series set to open on Thursday at PNC Arena in Raleigh. Carolina holds a significant advantage, having swept their previous two series and enjoying an 11-day break between playoff games, the longest in NHL history. This will be the first playoff meeting between the two teams since 2006.
Buffalo’s season concludes with a 1-7 record in Game 7s, including 1-3 in overtime. The Sabres’ turnaround began in early December with a 39-9-5 record over their final 53 games, moving them from last in the East to second place. Montreal advances to the NHL’s semifinal round for the first time since the 2021 playoffs, where they lost the Stanley Cup Final to Tampa Bay.
