Canadiens’ Alex Newhook embraces ‘Dangerous Team’ identity after Game 7 thriller
Alex Newhook delivered another defining NHL playoff moment on Monday night, lifting the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 and sending Montreal into the Eastern Conference Finals. Newhook scored 11:22 into overtime, his second Game 7-winning goal of the postseason. The forward moved up the left wing, used Rasmus Dahlin as a screen, and snapped a low shot past goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen inside the far post.
MORE: Alex Newhook and Canadiens stun fans with ‘unbelievable’ OT win in Game 7 After the game, Newhook broke down the sequence in a calm and direct manner. “Yeah. I mean, I saw Cale get it and just tried to hop out wide there,” he told Sportsnet.
“Great play by him to get it to me on the far side, and I remember Jakey driving the net. I just tried to pull it in. Great net drive to kind of back up the D-man, and shot it through the legs there, I think so.
” The winner capped another clutch outing from Newhook, who also scored the decisive goal in Montreal’s first-round Game 7 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this month. Against Tampa Bay, Newhook showed elite hand-eye coordination by batting a rebound out of midair past Andrei Vasilevskiy in the third period. Against Buffalo, the finish relied more on timing, patience, and shot placement.
However, he called the goal a group effort. “A lot of emotions for sure,” Newhook said. “I mean, it’s a group effort all series long.