Canadiens eliminate Lightning 2-1 in Game 7, advance to second round

Montreal just pulled off the kind of Game 7 win that barely looks real in the box score. The Canadiens beat Tampa Bay 2-1 on Sunday night, s(nhl.com)ber attached to it — nine shots. That is all Montreal generated, and it still won because Jakub Dobes was excellent and the few chances the Canadiens did get were sharp enough to end Tampa Bay’s season. (nhl.com) ### How did Montreal win (aol.com)of the play and finished with a 29-9 edge in shots, but the Canadiens kept the game close, blocked lanes, and made their few rush chances count. Nick Suzuki opened the scoring in the first period, and Alex Newhook finished the biggest chance of the night in the third. (nhl.com) ### Why was Dobes the story? Because this game turns into a Lightning win without h(nhl.com) in a road Game 7 — time. Tampa Bay kept pressing, especially after Gage Goncalves tied the game in the second, but Dobes never let the score tilt any further. (nhl.com) ### What did the winning goal look like? Newhook scored at 11:07 of the third period, and it was the kind of finish that changes how a (nhl.com)the Canadiens found one clean moment and flipped all the pressure back onto Tampa Bay. From there, every Lightning rush felt more desperate. (nhl.com) ### Was the nine-shot number really that strange? Yes — extremely. It was the fewest shots by a team i(nhl.com)t a normal steal. It was a game where the Canadiens were outshot by 20, spent much of the night defending, and still found the exact two goals they needed. (usatoday.com) ### Why is this a big deal for Montreal? Because this team has been trying to climb out (nhl.com)hrough Tampa Bay in a winner-take-all game is a real marker. It says this group is no longer just interesting or ahead of schedule — it can survive a heavy playoff series against a team with championship muscle memory. (aol.com) ### Why does this sting for Tampa Bay? (usatoday.com)brutal when a hot goalie shrinks the net and the other side finishes its only openings. Tampa Bay forced this game by winning Game 6, then lost a night where it probably expected its pressure to break Montreal eventually. It never did. (nhl.com) ### What comes next? Montreal now faces Buffalo in the second round. The schedule has Game 1 set for Wednesday, May 6, in Buffalo. So the (aol.com)ry the confidence that comes from winning the strangest Game 7 of the first round. (nhl.com) ### Bottom line This was not pretty hockey from Montreal. But playoff series are not judged on aesthetics. The Canadiens got elite goaltending, two finishing plays, and a result that can change the feel of the whole rebuild. (nhl.com)y-3-2026))