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Canadiens Edge Lightning 2-1 in Game 7, Advance

5/4/2026

40 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Canadiens Advance Past Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 7, advancing to face the Buffalo Sabres.
Jakub Dobes made 28 saves as Montreal recorded only nine shots, the fewest for any Game 7 winner.
Nick Suzuki scored 1:21 in to open game after his deflection beat goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, with Alex Newhook adding the go-ahead at 11:07 and Dominic James having tied on a power-play at 6:33 of second.

Summary

Lightning Game 7

The Lightning entered Game 7 as -155 favorites with a 5.5-goal line.
Coach Jon Cooper was a Jack Adams Award nominee for playoff coaching.
Defenseman Noah Dobson, out with a thumb injury in an April 11 collision, was a game-time decision and carries a $9.5 million cap hit.
Winner faces Buffalo Sabres, who beat Bruins 4-1, in the sole first-round series with a Canadian team and where every game was decided by one goal.

History

Historical Context

In 1971 the Canadiens captured their 24th Stanley Cup, winning Game 7 of the first Original-Six final since 1967 by beating Chicago 4-3 behind Ken Dryden. Sixty-three years later, Jakub Dobes stopped 28 shots as Montreal edged Tampa Bay 2-1 in Game 7, reinforcing the club’s long-standing reputation for clutch playoff victories.

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Canadiens Advance Past Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 7, advancing to face the Buffalo Sabres.
Jakub Dobes made 28 saves as Montreal recorded only nine shots, the fewest for any Game 7 winner.
Nick Suzuki scored 1:21 in to open game after his deflection beat goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, with Alex Newhook adding the go-ahead at 11:07 and Dominic James having tied on a power-play at 6:33 of second.

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