Canadiens' Alex Newhook scores thrilling OT game-winner to defeat Sabres in Game 7
An electric series between Montreal and Buffalo came down to sudden-death overtime, after a late Sabres goal was called off.
For the second series in a row, the Montreal Canadiens are moving on in the NHL playoffs after a thrilling late goal in a Game 7. After going up 2-0 in the first period over the Buffalo Sabres, the Canadiens conceded two goals. In the third period, Buffalo nearly took the lead, but the tap from Beck Malenstyn came a fraction of a second after the referee blew the whistle, making it no goal .
That call led to a tense sudden-death overtime, with both teams taking close shots in an attempt to take the series. Then, just under halfway through the overtime period, Canadiens forward Alex Newhook sent in a long shot that slipped past Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and sent Montreal to glory. ALEX NEWHOOK WITH HIS SECOND GAME 7 WINNING GOAL THIS POSTSEASON 🔥 (via @espn ) pic.
twitter. com/1Y2IQRvE8y — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 19, 2026 This is Newhook’s second time playing Game 7 hero for the Canadiens: The centre scored another late goal in the decisive game of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning two weeks ago, with his third-period shot giving Montreal the win. It also cemented a strange trend in this series, as the Canadiens pick up the thrilling victory on the Sabres’ home ice.
In the seven-game series, only two games ended with the home team getting the win. The rest of the matchups seemed to have no sense of home-ice advantage: Buffalo forced Game 7 by smacking the Habs at home in Game 6, scoring seven unanswered goals in an 8-3 win. Those topsy-turvy results quickly triggered the superstitions of the home team: The Sabres even went so far as to spend the night in a hotel on Sunday in order to simulate an away environment.