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

Key facts

• Montreal defeated Tampa Bay 2-1 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
• The Canadiens were outshot 29-9, the fewest shots in an NHL playoff win.
• Montreal had zero shots on goal in the second period, a first in a playoff period since 2017.
• All seven games in the series were decided by one goal; four went to overtime.
• The road team won five of the seven games; Montreal took three of four in Tampa.
• Tampa Bay has been eliminated in the first round for four straight seasons.
• Montreal will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round starting Wednesday.

Game 7 Decided by One Goal, as Series Pattern Holds

The Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 2-1 victory in Game 7 at Benchmark International Arena on Sunday night, completing a first-round upset that saw every contest decided by a single goal. Four of the seven games required overtime. The score was tied or within one goal for all but six minutes across the entire series. Montreal, the No. 3 seed from the Atlantic Division, will now face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round. Game 1 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Buffalo. The series marks the first playoff meeting between the Atlantic Division rivals since 1998.

Dobes Stands Tall as Canadiens Manage Just Nine Shots

Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves to anchor Montreal's improbable win, as the Canadiens were outshot 29-9 — the fewest shots on goal by any team in a playoff victory in NHL history. Montreal did not record a shot in the second period despite having two power-play opportunities, becoming the first team to go an entire playoff period without a shot since the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals. “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.” The Canadiens went 26 minutes and 55 seconds without a shot on goal from the first period into the third.

Newhook and Suzuki Provide the Offense on Lucky Bounces

Nick Suzuki opened the scoring with 1:21 left in the first period, redirecting a slap shot from Kaiden Guhle that was heading wide but deflected off Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser and into the net. It was Suzuki's first goal of the series after he scored 29 in the regular season. Alex Newhook broke a 1-1 tie at 11:07 of the third period. After Lane Hutson's slap shot went wide and bounced back off the glass, Newhook batted the puck out of the air and in off goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy's pad and backside. “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.”

Lightning's Power Play Ties It, but Home Ice Fails Again

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

St. Louis Coaches Against Former Team; Dobson Returns from Injury

Montreal coach Martin St. Louis, a Hockey Hall of Famer whose No. 26 is retired by the Lightning, became the fifth person to both play for a team in a Game 7 and later coach against them in another. “Tonight, what did we have, nine shots, 10 shots?,” St. Louis said. “I felt like tonight they deserved better. I felt like Game 6 we probably deserved better and Dobes kind of stole the game.” Defenseman Noah Dobson returned to the lineup after missing three weeks with a left-hand injury suffered on April 11. He was not sheltered, shot the puck, and made important defensive plays, though the Canadiens lost some physicality with Arber Xhekaj sitting out.

Lightning Face Offseason Questions; Canadiens Look Ahead to Sabres

Tampa Bay's elimination marks the fourth consecutive first-round exit for a team that fell two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022. The Lightning's biggest offseason question is unrestricted free agent Darren Raddysh, who posted a career-best 70 points while Victor Hedman dealt with various absences. Hedman missed the playoffs for personal reasons but has three years left on his contract. Other key pending UFAs include Oliver Bjorkstrand and Corey Perry. Leading scorer Nikita Kucherov is eligible to sign an extension on July 1. Montreal, meanwhile, will face the Buffalo Sabres in a series that promises intensity. The teams split the season series 2-2, with both scoring 13 goals, but three of those games occurred in January, and both rosters have evolved since. “With two of the best playoff atmospheres in hockey on full display, it is going to be a fun series,” one observer noted.

The bottom line

• Montreal won Game 7 despite being outshot 29-9, the fewest shots in an NHL playoff win.
• Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves and was the difference in the series.
• All seven games were decided by one goal, with four going to overtime.
• Tampa Bay lost three home games in the series and has been eliminated in the first round for four straight years.
• Montreal advances to face Buffalo in the second round, their first playoff meeting since 1998.
• The Lightning face key offseason decisions on pending free agents Darren Raddysh, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Corey Perry.