Canadiens Stun Sabres in Game 7 Thriller as Alex Newhook Delivers Again in Overtime
MONTREAL. May 19, 2026 — The Montreal Canadiens are heading to the Eastern Conference Final after surviving one of the most dramatic playoff battles of the postseason.
Alex Newhook added to his legacy in Montreal on Monday night, scoring at 11:22 of overtime to lift the Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center. The win propels Montreal into the Eastern Conference Final against the powerhouse Carolina Hurricanes and concludes a hard-fought, unpredictable seven-game series defined by clutch performances and tense moments.
For Newhook, the moment felt almost familiar.
The 25-year-old forward had already scored a Game 7 series-clinching goal earlier in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he did it again in Buffalo when the Canadiens needed him most. According to NHL playoff history, he became just the second player ever to score two Game 7-winning goals in the same postseason, joining Nathan Horton in 2011.
“It’s a crazy feeling,” Newhook said after the game. “It’s fun. It’s why you play the game.”
The winning play developed quickly after Buffalo stars Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin misplayed the puck at the Montreal blue line. Canadiens defenceman Alexandre Carrier immediately pushed the play up ice before feeding Newhook, streaking into the Sabres’ zone. With Jake Evans driving toward the net and creating traffic in front, Newhook snapped a perfectly placed shot inside the far post past Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, silencing the Buffalo crowd and sending the Canadiens bench into chaos.
Game 7 delivered high tension and memorable shifts, with both teams pushing the limits.
Montreal jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc, but Buffalo battled back in front of a roaring home crowd. Jordan Greenway cut the deficit in half before captain Rasmus Dahlin tied the game in the third period, setting the stage for overtime.
Both goaltenders were exceptional throughout the night and deserved starring roles in the drama.
Montreal’s Jakub Dobes continued his remarkable postseason run with 37 saves, many of them coming during extended Buffalo pressure in the second and third periods. Time and again, Dobes came up with critical stops against Thompson, Dylan Cozens, and JJ Peterka to keep Montreal alive. At the other end, Luukkonen was equally brilliant, turning aside 31 shots and making several highlight-reel saves to push the game into overtime. The duel between the two netminders became one of the defining stories of the series finale.
The Sabres actually outshot the Canadiens 39-34 in Game 7, including a heavy advantage through long stretches of regulation, but Montreal’s composure and opportunistic offense ultimately proved decisive.
The series itself had been wildly unpredictable from the start.
Montreal opened with a tight 3-2 victory in Game 1 before Newhook exploded offensively in Games 2 and 3 as the Canadiens seized control of the matchup. Buffalo answered back with a statement performance in Game 4, and the teams traded momentum the rest of the way. The most shocking moment came in Game 6 when the Sabres stormed back from a multi-goal deficit to rout Montreal 8-3 at the Bell Centre, forcing the deciding game back in Buffalo. Rasmus Dahlin recorded five points in that must-win victory while Buffalo’s power play overwhelmed the Canadiens’ defense.
Montreal faced a major test of composure after that collapse, but coach Martin St. Louis highlighted his team’s ability to regroup and respond under pressure.
“I think our group learned a lot through this series,” St. Louis said after the win. “There was adversity every game and our guys stayed together.” He also acknowledged the massive challenge waiting in the next round, noting that Carolina “has been the standard in the East all playoffs.”
Now comes perhaps Montreal’s toughest test yet.
Toughest test yet
The Carolina Hurricanes have steamrolled through the postseason so far, sweeping both the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers to reach the conference final without losing a single game. Carolina enters the series rested, confident, and with home-ice advantage after posting one of the NHL’s best regular-season records.
The Hurricanes’ dominance has been built on relentless forechecking, elite defensive structure, and outstanding goaltending from Frederik Andersen. While stars like Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis haven’t even fully erupted offensively yet, Carolina has still controlled games with suffocating consistency. Their playoff run has looked so effortless that some analysts have wondered whether the lengthy layoff before the conference final could actually disrupt their rhythm.
Still, the Canadiens know they’ll be facing a rested juggernaut.
Two Dramatic Game 7 Victories
Montreal, meanwhile, arrives battle-tested after surviving consecutive emotional Game 7 victories in two rounds. The Canadiens have leaned heavily on young stars like Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Newhook, while captain Nick Suzuki continues to quietly produce at both ends of the ice. Dobes has also emerged as one of the postseason’s breakout stars between the pipes.
Habs in Eastern Conference Final
The Eastern Conference Final is scheduled to begin Thursday night in Raleigh, with Games 1 and 2 taking place in Carolina before the series shifts to Montreal for Games 3 and 4 at the Bell Centre. The series is expected to follow an every-other-night format, with no extended travel breaks.
Here is the schedule, according to the National Hockey League (NHL):
Game 1: Thursday, May 21 at 8 p.m. (Carolina)
Game 2: Saturday, May 23 at 7 p.m. (Caroline)
Game 3: Monday, May 25 at 8 p.m. (Montreal)
Game 4: Wednesday, May 27 at 8 p.m. (Montreal)
And if needed:
Game 5: Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. (Carolina)
Game 6: Sunday, May 31, time to be determined (Montreal)
Game 7: Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. (Carolina)
Rioting in the Streets of Montreal
Back in Montreal, the excitement of the Canadiens’ dramatic Game 7 victory sparked massive celebrations downtown around the Bell Centre, though the festivities later turned chaotic in some areas. Thousands of fans packed the streets waving flags, chanting, and setting off fireworks after Alex Newhook’s overtime winner.
Montreal police maintained a heavy presence throughout the night, but isolated incidents escalated near Peel Street and Sainte-Catherine Street, where officers reported bottles and garbage cans being thrown at police.
Tear gas was eventually deployed to disperse smaller disruptive groups, and at least two people were detained as fireworks continued to erupt in the downtown core. Despite the incidents, most fans celebrated peacefully as playoff fever continues to grip the city.
For Canadiens fans, the excitement is impossible to ignore.
After a period of rebuilding and uncertainty, Montreal now stands just four wins from a return to the Stanley Cup Final. With Alex Newhook’s timely scoring and a roster that has matured under pressure, the Canadiens approach the next challenge with renewed confidence and a sense of opportunity.
