BUFFALO, N.Y. — Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson shared the same growing frustration as countless Canadiens supporters who had grown weary of hearing about the franchise’s developing talent and bright tomorrow.
As it turns out, that tomorrow may have come sooner than expected, driven forward by Alex Newhook’s remarkable ability to deliver crucial goals in winner-take-all playoff contests.
“It means a lot,” Matheson commented following Montreal’s advancement to the Eastern Conference finals, achieved through Newhook’s overtime strike at 11:22 in their 3-2 victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday evening.
“For a long time it’s been talking about the rebuild and rebuild. I think as a group we’re a little tired of that whole kind of viewpoint, as if we have to keep being patient and wait, and our time will come,” he said. “So I feel it’s exciting for us and motivating for us to see that we’re at this stage already.”
Monday’s victory marked Montreal’s second Game 7 triumph during these playoffs, with both road victories sealed by Newhook’s heroics. The second-line player previously netted the decisive goal at 11:07 of the final period in Game 7 of Montreal’s opening-round victory over Tampa Bay, winning that series 2-1.
The Canadiens will now face the well-rested Hurricanes in a series beginning Thursday evening in Carolina. The Hurricanes completed sweeps in both of their opening playoff rounds and haven’t played since defeating Philadelphia 3-2 in overtime on May 9.
Montreal has reached the NHL’s penultimate round for the first time since the pandemic-affected 2021 playoffs, when a veteran-heavy squad featuring captain Shea Weber and netminder Carey Price defeated Vegas before falling to Tampa Bay in a five-game Stanley Cup Final.
While some players remain from that era, including captain Nick Suzuki and his linemate Cole Caufield, both now in their mid-20s, this roster has been essentially reconstructed over three-plus seasons under general manager Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis.
The new faces include drafted prospects like defenseman Lane Hutson, forwards Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov, plus goaltender Jakub Dobes. Hughes has also brought in crucial pieces through trades, including Newhook, Matheson, Noah Dobson, Alexandre Carrier and Phillip Danault, who has returned for his second tenure with the organization.
“We built it since I’ve been here, and we built it all season long,” said Newhook, who captured the Stanley Cup in 2022 with Colorado and is now completing his second campaign in Montreal. “We’re a confident group. We knew what we were capable of all year. I think we believe that we can keep going and bring this thing all the way.”
This marks just Montreal’s fourth playoff appearance in nine seasons. The franchise’s upward momentum is evident following last year’s first-round elimination by Washington, and after a regular season where Montreal’s 48 victories and 106 points represented their best totals since 2014-15.
The Canadiens haven’t suffered back-to-back defeats since mid-March and have posted a perfect 6-0 record in playoff games following losses.
Rookie netminder Dobes has shouldered the goaltending responsibilities by starting every postseason contest after posting a 29-10-4 regular season record. In both Game 7 appearances, he has surrendered just three total goals on 68 shots, including a 37-save performance against Buffalo.
Both he and his teammates recovered impressively from an 8-3 defeat in Game 6.
“We’re used to it,” Dobes said of performing in the clutch. “The Tampa series made us a way better team than before the playoffs. We know how to bounce back. We know what’s the feeling like. So, yeah, it’s just keep getting experience.”
Montreal began the playoffs with 10 players who had previously participated in a Game 7. That number has now doubled to 20.
“It’s easy to just use the age as a crutch,” said St. Louis, who now holds a 2-0 record in Game 7s as a coach to complement his 6-2 mark as a player.
“Two years ago, we know that we lacked experience. That doesn’t mean you can’t advance and mature,” he said. “Last year’s experience in the playoffs, what we’re going through right now, you can’t buy that. It’s amazing. I’m so happy for the players to live that.”
