Canadiens Beat Sabres to Win First-Ever Road Game 7 in Overtime

Just like in Round 1, Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook scored the series-winning goal against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, as the Habs won 3-2. Just like Round 1, it came on the road as well. Unlike in Round 1 though, Newhook scored in overtime this time, marking the first time ever in the team’s illustrious history the Habs have accomplished the feat, plunging a sudden-death dagger into the hearts of their opponents in their own building, in a Game 7.

Newhook Emerges as Key Canadiens Component

On the play defenseman Alexandre Carrier got the puck to Newhook on a rush. Entering the offensive zone, Newhook let it fly just above the faceoff circle, beating Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at 11:22 of the first overtime. It was Newhook’s sixth goal of the series and seventh overall, the seventh being the series-winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Luukkonen had gotten the start, after having relieved Alex Lyon early in Game 6, after the latter had given up three goals on the first four shots he faced. To his credit, Luukkonen rose to the challenge in that contest, leading the Sabres to a critical victory to force Monday’s Game 7. However, the Canadiens had gotten to Luukkonen earlier in the series, in an impressive Game 5 victory, during which he got pulled in favour of Lyon, making the decision as to who would start for the Sabres a relative toss-up.

While Luukkonen was relatively solid, stopping 22 of 25 shots, he conceded the game’s first two goals in the first period, first to Phillip Danault less than five minutes in, then to Zachary Bolduc, with just over five minutes left in the frame. The Sabres battled back, with Jordan Greenway, parked in front of a screened Jakub Dobes, deflecting in a Mattias Samuelsson shot from the slot past the midway point of the second.

Canadiens Ride History-Making Dobes to East Final

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin tied it up in the third, taking an Owen Power pass following an offensive zone faceoff win and lifting it over Dobes’ shoulder. From there, Dobes, who continued his streak of earning a victory after every loss this postseason, was perfect, stopping 37 of 39 shots. In so doing, he became the first rookie Canadiens goalie since Ken Dryden in 1970-71 to win two Game 7s in a single postseason.

The Canadiens move on to face the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday to begin the Eastern Conference Final. Of note, the Habs were a perfect 3-0 against the favoured Canes during the regular season, making for an intriguing match-up. Despite having earned 106 points in the regular season, it marks the third-straight series the Habs have widely been considered underdogs, with Carolina having swept their first two opponents these playoffs in the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers.