4 Heroes From the Canadiens’ Game 7 Win Over the Sabres

The Montreal Canadiens are headed to the Eastern Conference Final after a wild 3-2 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 on Monday night. And honestly, this felt like one of those games where the Canadiens just kept hanging around long enough for somebody to eventually break through. Buffalo pushed hard most of the night, outshot Montreal badly, and spent long stretches controlling play. But the Canadiens never completely cracked.

And that’s kind of been the story of this playoff run. Montreal keeps finding different guys at different moments. One night, it’s the goalie stealing the show. The next night, it’s depth scoring or a big defensive shift.

In Game 7, four players really stood above the rest.

Hero No. 1: Jakub Dobes.

This game probably doesn’t even get to overtime without Dobes. The rookie goalie was outstanding again, stopping 37 shots and looking way calmer than you’d expect from somebody this early in his NHL career. Buffalo threw everything at him for stretches, and Dobes just kept absorbing it.

What’s impressive is how little panic there is in his game. He doesn’t over-slide, doesn’t scramble around, and doesn’t look rattled after bad bounces. He just resets and keeps going. That’s a rare thing for a young goalie in playoff hockey.

Hero No. 2: Alex Newhook.

At this point, Newhook is becoming Mr. Series Clincher for Montreal. After already scoring the winner in the opening round, he did it again Monday night with the overtime goal.

It was a confident play too. He carried the puck into the zone, found space through traffic, and snapped it home past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Newhook has been one of the Canadiens’ hottest forwards lately, and he’s starting to look like the kind of playoff player every team desperately wants this time of year.

Hero No. 3: Phillip Danault.

Danault gave Montreal exactly what it needed early: a quick goal and some emotional stability. His first-period goal settled everybody down and gave the Canadiens something to build from.

But honestly, his value goes way beyond scoring. Danault has become one of the Canadiens’ most important matchup players in these playoffs. He blocks shots, wins battles, kills momentum, and does a lot of the ugly little things that help teams survive tight playoff games.

Hero No. 4: Zachary Bolduc.

Bolduc doesn’t always get the headlines, but he had a huge impact again. His power-play goal kept Montreal right in the fight, and he continued doing the heavy, physical work that’s become a huge part of his game.

What’s interesting about Bolduc is how quickly he’s carved out a role. He’s hitting everything, giving energy shifts, and now adding timely offence too. Players like this become playoff fan favourites fast.

Final Thoughts about the Canadiens.

The Canadiens didn’t win this game because they dominated it. They won because they stayed composed, got huge goaltending, and had the right players step up at the biggest moments. The puck was rolling just enough to dip under the goalie’s glove.

That’s usually how Game 7s work. And now, somehow, Montreal is four wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.