NHL Recap: Montreal Holds Off Buffalo to Win Game 7, Advance to Face Carolina
Montreal rallies past Buffalo 3-2 in overtime of Game 7. Dobes, Newhook, and a stout defensive effort push the Canadiens into their first Conference Final since 2021.
Alex Newhook’s OT winner sends Montreal past Buffalo in Game 7. Jakub Dobes makes 37 saves as the Canadiens advance to face Carolina in the ECF for the first time since 2021...
The Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in Game 7 on Monday night to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
Alex Newhook scored the overtime winner, his seventh goal of the playoffs, and silenced the Buffalo crowd.
Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 37 saves for Montreal. He has now won back-to-back Game 7s this postseason and has not lost consecutive games yet.
This is the Canadiens’ first trip to the Eastern Conference Final since 2021, the year they reached the Stanley Cup Final. It is also their fifth Game 7 overtime victory, and their first since 1992.
Montreal will now face the Carolina Hurricanes, who swept their way to the Eastern Conference Final by beating the Senators and then the Philadelphia Flyers. Game 1 between the Hurricanes and Canadiens is set for Thursday, May 21st, giving Carolina 11 days of rest.
Danault opens the scoring
Phillip Danault netted his first goal of the playoffs to give the Canadiens a 1-0 lead just 4:30 into the game. Kaiden Guhle and Alexandre Texier picked up the assists on the play.
Montreal matches franchise mark
The goal marked Montreal’s eighth consecutive postseason game with a first-period goal, tying a franchise record set in 1993 and 1978.
The first power play of the game did not come until nearly 13 minutes in, when Buffalo’s Zach Benson was called for a two-minute delay of game minor. It was the only penalty of the first period, a sharp drop from the seven penalties in Game 6.
Montreal made the power play count. Zachary Bolduc scored his third goal of the playoffs to extend the lead to 2-0, with assists from Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson. It was the Canadiens’ seventh power-play goal in their last 17 chances.
With the assist, Hutson became the fifth defenseman in Canadiens playoff history to record a six-game assist streak. He joins Jacques Lemaire, Larry Robinson, Frank Mahovlich, and Henri Richard.
Suzuki also made history by becoming only the second Canadiens player, after Mats Naslund in 1987, to record at least one point in eight straight road playoff games.
Montreal held a lead after the first period for the fourth time in the series, having done so in Games 2, 4, and 6. The Canadiens went 1-2 in those games, and from the second period onward in those three contests, Buffalo outscored them 9-3.
The Habs entered the second period ahead in shots 11-9, hits 14-7, and blocked shots 5-2.
Buffalo appeared set to get their first power play when a high-sticking penalty was called. After review, it was determined that Zach Benson had hit his own teammate Josh Norris, leaving Norris with a bloody lip.
It took 33:19 of game time before Buffalo finally got on the board in the second period, scoring on their 15th shot of the game.
Jordan Greenway scored his second goal of the playoffs to make it 2-1. The goal was first given to Mattias Samuelsson, but the puck deflected off Greenway on its way in.
Beck Malenstyn and Jordan Greenway each recorded an assist on the play.
This high sticking double minor was rescinded upon the review clearly showing it was BENSONS stick that hit Norris, not a Canadiens players. pic.twitter.com/NBwbOa50sr
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 19, 2026
Buffalo took control in the second period and entered the third with a 58-30 edge in shot attempts and a 23-18 advantage in shots on goal. Neither team was penalized in the second period, making it the cleanest first 40 minutes of the series in terms of penalties.
The Sabres got their first power play of the game early in the third after Danault was called for high-sticking Samuelsson, but they could not convert.
Buffalo played better at even strength.
Seven minutes into the third period, Rasmus Dahlin tied the game 2-2 for Buffalo. After the goal, the Sabres pushed their shot attempt lead to 70-38 over Montreal.
It was Dahlin’s fourth goal of the playoffs, with Owen Power and Ryan McLeod picking up the assists. The goal came just two games after his historic five-point performance.
With that goal, Sabres defensemen now have 12 goals this postseason, more than any other team.
The game went to overtime with just one penalty called on each team.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) May 19, 2026
Buffalo held a 34-22 edge in shots on goal, but Montreal still led in hits 24-19 and blocked shots 19-9. The Canadiens managed only four shots on goal in the third period as momentum shifted firmly toward Buffalo.
When it was over, Montreal came out on top.
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