Montreal Canadiens beat Sabres 3-2 OT

Montreal’s 3-2 overtime win over Buffalo on Monday did more than end a second-round series. It completed the Stanley Cup’s final four and set the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Newhook scored at 11:22 of overtime in Game 7 at KeyBank Center, sending the Canadiens through after another one-goal finish in a series that went the distance. (nhl.com) The result also locked in the other semifinal. Colorado will face Vegas in the Western Conference final, while Carolina and Montreal open in the East after the Hurricanes had been idle since May 9, according to ESPN’s series preview and the NHL’s conference-final schedule. (nhl.com) ### Who ended Game 7, and when did it happen? Alex Newhook ended the series at 11:22 of overtime on Monday, May 18, according to NHL.com’s game report. Montreal beat Buffalo 3-2 in Game 7 on the road at KeyBank Center to advance out of the Eastern Conference second round. (nhl.com) NHL.com said the Canadiens had to survive another tight finish to do it. The score stayed level into overtime before Newhook’s winner sent Montreal into the conference final for the first time since its 2021 run, according to NHL.com and Sportsnet’s preview coverage. (msn.com) ### How does this reshape the playoff bracket? Four teams remain: the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. That leaves Hurricanes-Canadiens in the East and Avalanche-Golden Knights in the West, as reflected in NHL.com’s conference-final schedule and multiple bracket updates. (nhl.com) Monday’s game mattered because it filled the last open spot. Carolina and Colorado had already advanced, and Vegas had already secured the other Western berth before Montreal finished off Buffalo. (nhl.com) ### Why is Carolina’s layoff part of the story? May 9 was the last time Carolina played before this matchup was set, ESPN said in its preview of the Eastern Conference final. The Hurricanes reached the round after consecutive sweeps, while Montreal arrived after another seven-game series. (nhl.com) AP’s preview framed the series around that contrast as Carolina prepared to open at home on Thursday. The Hurricanes enter after a long break, while Montreal comes in after two straight series that went seven games. (dailyfaceoff.com) ### Where does the Eastern final start? Thursday is the opener for Montreal at Carolina, and the game will be played at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, NHL.com said in its series preview. The official conference-final schedule lists Carolina with home ice to begin the best-of-seven matchup. (msn.com) The Western Conference final is also set. Colorado and Vegas are the other remaining teams in the Stanley Cup race, according to the NHL schedule page and Daily Faceoff’s report on the released conference-final dates. (apnews.com) ### What is the clearest takeaway from Montreal’s path here? Montreal reached this round by outlasting Buffalo in a winner-take-all road game, not by wrapping up the series early. Sportsnet said the Canadiens came through two seven-game series to reach the conference final, while Carolina swept its first two opponents. (nhl.com) That difference is now part of the setup for the next round. ESPN’s preview and NHL.com’s series page both identify Hurricanes-Canadiens as the Eastern Conference final that begins Thursday after Montreal’s overtime clincher on Monday. (nhl.com) Thursday’s Game 1 in Raleigh is the next scheduled step for Montreal and Carolina, and NHL.com’s conference-final page lists the full best-of-seven slate for both that series and Colorado-Vegas. (nhl.com) (msn.com) (sportsnet.ca)