Canadiens Beat Sabers to Win First Road Game 7 in Overtime – Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens

Just like in Round 1, Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook scored the series-winning goal against the Buffalo Sabers on Monday night, with the Habs winning 3-2. Like Round 1, it also hit the road. Unlike in Round 1, Newhook scored a goal in overtime this time, the first time in team history that the Habs have done this feat, driving a sudden lethal dagger into the hearts of their opponents in their own building, in Game 7.

Newhook Emerges as a Major for the Canadiens

On the play defenseman Alexandre Carrier got the puck to Newhook quickly. Entering the offensive zone, Newhook let it fly just above the circle, beating Sabers goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at 11:22 of the first overtime period. 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 started, after relieving Alex Lyon early in Game 6, after the player gave up three goals on the first four shots he faced. Sadly, Luukkonen rose to the challenge in that contest, leading the Sabers to a crucial victory to force Monday’s Game 7. However, the Canadians had come to Luukkonen at the beginning of the series, in an impressive Game 5 victory, where he was pulled in favor of Lyon, deciding who will start the Sabers relative to relative.

While Luukkonen was solid, stopping 22 of 25 shots, he gave up the game’s first two goals in the first half, first to Phillip Danault less than five minutes in, then to Zachary Bolduc, with more than five minutes left in the frame. The Sabers battled back, with Jordan Greenway, parked in front of a tested Jakub Dobes, deflecting Mattias Samuelsson’s shot from mid-range in the second half.

Canadiens Ride History-Making Dobes to East Final

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

The Canadiens advance to face the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday to start the Eastern Conference Final. Of note, the Habs were 3-0 against the favored Canes in the regular season, making for an interesting matchup. Despite scoring 106 points in the regular season, it marks the third straight series the Habs have been widely viewed as underdogs, with Carolina sweeping their first two playoff opponents in the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers.