For the second time in three playoff years, Buffalo Sabres supporters are watching a series end in overtime of a seventh game. Alexander Newhook scored the decisive goal at KeyBank Center on Monday, sending the Montreal Canadiens through to the Eastern Conference Finals and extending one of the more frustrating records in recent NHL playoff history.
Buffalo are now 1-7 in Game 7 situations. They are 1-3 when those games reach overtime.
The Game
Montreal led through two periods, goals from Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc giving the Canadiens a cushion that Buffalo refused to accept. Rasmus Dahlin, the defenceman who has been Buffalo’s best player in this series, stepped up in the third period with the equaliser at the 6:27 mark. For a time, the Sabres looked capable of turning it in their favour at home.
Jakub Dobes kept the Canadiens alive. The goaltender made 37 saves, including a sequence in the final ten minutes of the third period when Buffalo pushed for the lead. He was the reason overtime became necessary, and the reason the Canadiens went into it with their structure intact.
Newhook took the finish when it came. The puck reached him in the overtime period and he put it past Luukkonen, who had made 22 saves across the evening. A hard-luck loss for a Buffalo keeper who gave his side every chance.
Buffalo’s Game 7 Record
The numbers are blunt: 1-7 in Game 7s, 1-3 in overtime Game 7s. There is a point at which records like this stop being coincidence and start reflecting something structural about how the organisation approaches playoff moments. Whether that is coaching, roster composition, culture or a combination, the Sabres have now had the answer taken from them at the final stage on multiple occasions.
Jordan Greenway scored in regulation. Dahlin brought them level. The building believed. It was not enough.
What Comes Next
Montreal face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the series opening at Carolina on Thursday. The Hurricanes advanced to this stage through their own series earlier in the week. Carolina have strong home-ice advantage and will open as favourites based on regular-season record and defensive efficiency.
Dobes, if Monday’s performance reflects his level, will give the Canadiens a competitive goaltending presence throughout the series. They will need him.
For Buffalo: a summer of questions. They had home ice for Game 7, two different leads across the evening, and Dahlin in his best form of the series. It still was not enough.
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