Canadiens Outlast Lightning 2-1 in Game 7, Advance to Face Sabres

Key facts

• Montreal beat Tampa Bay 2-1 in Game 7 of the first round.
• Alex Newhook scored the game-winning goal at 11:07 of the third period.
• Nick Suzuki opened the scoring with 1:21 left in the first period.
• Jakub Dobes made 28 saves for Montreal.
• Montreal was held to nine shots on goal, the fewest in an NHL playoff win.
• The series was decided by one goal in each game, with four going to overtime.
• Montreal will face Buffalo in the second round; Game 1 is Wednesday in Buffalo.

A Series Defined by Margins

The Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 2-1 victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Benchmark International Arena on Sunday. The win sends Montreal to the second round for the first time since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Tampa Bay in 2021. They will face the Buffalo Sabres, with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday night in Buffalo. Every game in the series was decided by one goal, and four required overtime. The score was tied or within one goal for all but six minutes across the seven games. The road team won five of the seven contests, with Montreal taking three of four in Tampa.

Newhook’s Third-Period Strike Decides It

With the score tied 1-1, Alex Newhook broke the deadlock at 11:07 of the third period. Lane Hutson fired a slap shot that went wide and bounced back out; Newhook skated in and backhanded the puck out of the air, deflecting it off Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and into the net. “I think it's a big moment,” Newhook said. “Young group, young team, so to be able to rise to the occasion in a big game like this just shows what we're capable of and we're a hard team to beat where we're at right now.” Montreal had mustered only four shots through two periods and none in the second, despite two power-play chances. They became the first team to record zero shots in a playoff period since Pittsburgh in Game 1 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals against Nashville. The Canadiens finished with nine shots on goal, the fewest ever in an NHL playoff win.

Dobes Stands Tall as Montreal’s Last Line

Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves, repeatedly denying Tampa Bay as they pressed for the equalizer. “Many times during the season the guys bail me out and help me out and I try to do the same,” Dobes said. “Sometimes they don't play good, sometimes I don't play good. They've always got my back and I've always got theirs. That's our mentality.” Montreal coach Martin St. Louis praised his team’s resilience. “Tonight, what did we have, nine shots, 10 shots? I felt like tonight they deserved better. I felt like Game 6 we probably deserved better and Dobes kind of stole the game. You need a little bit of everything and that's what we got this series.” St. Louis, a Hall of Famer whose No. 26 is retired by the Lightning, became the fifth person to both play in a Game 7 for a team and later coach against them.

Lightning’s Offensive Push Falls Short

Dominic James tied the game at 1-1 in the second period, tipping in Charle-Edouard D’Astous’ one-timer from just inside the blue line on a power play. Tampa Bay held Montreal without a shot for nearly 27 minutes from the first period into the third. Brandon Hagel made a spectacular sliding stick save with an open net in the final minute, but the Lightning could not score during a 6-on-5 advantage and a 6-on-4 for the final six seconds. “Can't say much about the game tonight. You're going to win 99 percent of those games,” Hagel said. “But at the end of the day, if you lose three games at home, you're probably not going to win the series.” The Lightning lost for the 11th time in their last 13 playoff home games, including three in this series, in front of their 461st consecutive sellout crowd.

Tampa Bay’s First-Round Exit Streak Continues

The Lightning were eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight season, a stark comedown for a team that fell two wins short of a three-peat in 2022. This is the first time since 2019 that no Florida team has reached the Stanley Cup Final. Key offseason questions include the status of unrestricted free agent Darren Raddysh, who posted a career-best 70 points while Victor Hedman dealt with absences. Hedman missed the playoffs for personal reasons but has three years left on his contract. Other pending UFAs are Oliver Bjorkstrand and Corey Perry. Leading scorer Nikita Kucherov is eligible to sign an extension on July 1.

Montreal’s Second-Round Challenge: Buffalo

The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round, marking the first playoff meeting between the Atlantic Division rivals since 1998. The teams split the season series 2-2, with both scoring 13 goals. However, three of those games took place in January, and both rosters have evolved significantly since. Noah Dobson, who returned from a left-hand injury suffered on April 11, played in Game 7 and made an impact with poise and puck-moving, though the team sacrificed some physicality by sitting Arber Xhekaj. “The most compelling second-round series is definitely the Montreal Canadiens facing the Buffalo Sabres,” one observer noted. “With two of the best playoff atmospheres in hockey on full display, it is going to be a fun series. Game 1 on Wednesday can’t come soon enough!”

A Lesson in Efficiency

Montreal’s victory was a testament to making the most of limited opportunities. They scored twice on their first eight shots and finished with nine, while Dobes turned aside 28 of 29 shots. The Canadiens blocked a Nikita Kucherov shot in the dying seconds to seal the win. As St. Louis put it, “You need a little bit of everything.” The series will be remembered for its razor-thin margins, but Montreal’s ability to win despite being outshot and outplayed for long stretches underscores the unpredictability of playoff hockey.

The bottom line

• Montreal advances to the second round for the first time since 2021, despite being outshot 29-9 in Game 7.
• Jakub Dobes made 28 saves, continuing a trend of goaltending stealing games for the Canadiens.
• The series was the tightest possible: every game decided by one goal, four in overtime.
• Tampa Bay has now lost in the first round four consecutive seasons, a sharp decline from their 2020 and 2021 championships.
• Montreal will face Buffalo in the second round, their first playoff meeting since 1998.
• Noah Dobson returned from a hand injury to play a key role in Game 7, adding poise to the blue line.