Newhook scores in OT, Canadiens top Sabres in Game 7 to advance to East Final

BUFFALO -- Alex Newhook scored at 11:22 of overtime to give the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at KeyBank Center on Monday.

Newhook took a cross-ice pass from Alexandre Carrier, skated to the top of the left circle, and scored with a low wrist shot that beat the glove of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

“It’s a crazy feeling. A lot of emotion, obviously,” said Newhook, who also scored the game-winning goal for the Canadiens in a 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the first round. “It was a war all series long, and for it to end up being Game 7 in overtime, sometimes it just takes one shot. Coming across the line, I just thought there was a shot opportunity. Great to see it find the back of the net, and there's no better feeling than celebrating with your teammates after a win like that."

Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc also scored for the Canadiens, who are the No. 3 seed from the Atlantic Division. Jakub Dobes made 37 saves.

“I actually felt really good this game,” said Dobes, who was pulled midway through the third period of an 8-3 loss in Game 6 after allowing six goals on 33 shots. “... I think me getting pulled at home was kind of a wake-up call. I took it personal. And we won today, so I’m really happy.”

Montreal will face the Carolina Hurricanes, who are the No. 1 seed from the Metropolitan Division, in the Eastern Conference Final. Game 1 of that best-of-7 series will be in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, HBO Max, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS).

“Last year's experience in the playoffs (a first-round loss in five games to the Washington Capitals), what we're going through right now, you can't buy that,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “It's amazing. I'm so happy for the players to live that.

“It's unreal to play in the NHL, but to get to live this do-or-die situation, in terms of moving on or you're done, scoring the big goal in overtime, that feeling that a player has, it's unbelievable. I'm so happy that we're getting to live that.”

Rasmus Dahlin and Jordan Greenway scored for the Sabres, who were the No. 1 seed from the Atlantic. Luukkonen made 22 saves.

“It hurts. I told the team it hurts,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. “That pain will go away, but I won’t let this one game define the season we had. I told the players how proud I was of them. The battle that we took into Game 6 in Montreal, and then we came back here and gave ourselves every chance to win. So, this one game doesn’t define our season for us.”

Danault gave Montreal a 1-0 lead at 4:30 of the first period when Kaiden Guhle’s centering pass deflected off his right skate and past the left pad of Luukkonen. The play started after Josh Anderson won a race for the puck with Bowen Byram below Buffalo's goal line.

Bolduc scored on the power play to make it 2-0 at 14:29. Nick Suzuki sent a no-look backhand feed from the left corner to Bolduc, who roofed a one-timer over Luukkonen's glove and under the crossbar from the right circle.

Greenway cut it to 2-1 at 13:19 of the second period. Mattias Samuelsson’s shot from the high slot deflected in off his left leg as he was screening Dobes in front.

“They really took it to us in the second and third, and once the game got tied, I think we actually started to play better,” Suzuki said. “We knew we had to keep playing, keep trying to score. You're not trying to protect the lead anymore. I thought our overtime was really good. You can't let the moment get too big.”

Dahlin tied it 2-2 at 6:27 of the third period. Owen Power skated down the slot and sent a short feed to his fellow defenseman, who one-timed it short side over Dobes' blocker from low in the left circle.

“It’s tough. It stings,” Buffalo forward Tage Thompson said. “I thought we played hard all year to get to this point. I don’t think anyone in this room felt like we were done yet. Just disappointed.”

NOTES: Newhook is the second player in NHL history to score multiple Game 7 series-clinching goals in a single postseason, joining Nathan Horton (2011 with the Boston Bruins). ... Dobes is the third goalie in Canadiens history to win two Game 7s in a single postseason, and the sixth rookie in NHL history to do so.