The Montreal Canadiens were heading back to Tampa Bay after losing 1-0 in overtime on Friday night against the Lightning. This has been a series that has been about as even as any series possibly could be, with four of the six games going to overtime and every game being decided by only one goal.
Game 7 was no different as it was a tight battle between the two teams, with the Canadiens getting the lead before the first intermission on a goal by Nick Suzuki. In the second period, the Lightning would tie it up as the Canadiens struggled to get any shots on goal, and entering the final period tied at one goal apiece.
In the third period, the Canadiens would get the deciding goal with Alex Newhook sneaking one past the Lightning to secure the 2-1 victory. These are four takeaways from an incredible performance by the Montreal Canadiens as they move on to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Nick Suzuki delivers the Montreal Canadiens an early lead in Game 7
After the Canadiens' overtime loss in Game 6, Nick Suzuki made a bold statement that Montreal was the better team for most of that game. It was a surprising comment for sure because, as someone watching, it certainly didn't feel that way.
On Sunday night, Suzuki tried his best to take the game over himself with a goal late in the first period to give the Canadiens the lead. It would be Suzuki's first goal in the playoffs and only his second goal in the past 11 games, dating back to the regular season.
In the end, it worked out for the captain, and Suzuki helped deliver a huge performance in Game 7 that helped Montreal move on.
Montreal Canadiens with a historic second period they will want to forget
Nick Suzuki's goal certainly helped Montreal gain early momentum, but they would go a long time before Andrei Vasilevskiy had to make another save. In fact, it was the first time in the Canadiens' playoff history that they failed to register a shot on goal in a period.
The Canadiens just couldn't get anything going in the offensive zone, and the Lightning blueline did a great job limiting their chances. In fact, the Canadiens would go over 93 minutes of real time in between shots on goal before Nick Suzuki registered a shot on goal in the third period.
It is rare for a team to go that long without a shot on goal, and even rarer for a team to win a game going that long between shots. The only reason they were able to win this game and the series was because of Jakub Dobes.
Jakub Dobes stole this game for the Montreal Canadiens
For the first time in his career, Jakub Dobes was entering a playoff series as the clear-cut starter, and the pressure was on him to deliver. To make things even tougher, he was going to have to match up against one of the best in the NHL, Andrei Vasilevskiy.
It didn't seem to matter, though, and Dobes handled the pressure exceptionally well and had a remarkable performance on the road in Game 7 against the Lightning. He finished the game, stopping 28 of 29 shots, and the only goal he allowed was the power play goal in the second by Dominic James as he tipped Charle-Edouard D'Astrous shot past him.
Alex Newhook with an incredible goal to give the Canadiens the lead in the third period
For the Canadiens, goals were tough to come by due in large part to the fact that shots were almost impossible to get to Andrei Vasilevskiy. Dobes did a great job keeping the game within reach, and the Canadiens would get a little luck on Alex Newhook's goal in the third period.
On the play, Lane Hutson's shot went wide and bounced off the backboard back towards the net. As the puck was skipping in the air, Newhook was able to hit it with his stick and redirect it behind Vasilevskiy as he was trying to get back into position.
ALEX NEWHOOK GIVES THE HABS THE LEAD IN THE THIRD PERIOD OF GAME 7!!! pic.twitter.com/LOu6oDm3Bg
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 4, 2026
It was an incredible goal by Newhook to cap off a remarkable series that now sees the Montreal Canadiens advancing to the second round for the first time since 2021. They are set to play the Buffalo Sabres, with that series beginning on Wednesday night.
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