‘Relentless’ Newhook scores 2, fires up Canadiens in Game 2 win

BUFFALO -- A shirtless Alex Newhook looked like a man possessed as he stormed around the Montreal Canadiens dressing room screaming out the names of the team’s opening lineup prior to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Friday.

It was enthusiasm personified to the extreme.

Then, after talking the talk, the Canadiens forward went out on the ice and walked the walk in a 5-1 win.

In fact, it took the 25-year-old just 96 seconds after the opening face-off to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. By 4:47 of the second period he scored his second of the game to put Montreal up 3-0 en route to the decisive victory that tied the best-of-7 series.

On this night, Newhook was the poster boy for practicing what you preach.

“I think, as a group, we needed big effort tonight,” Newhook said when asked about his rah-rah addressing of the team. “You know, bounce back. Bounce forward game. 

“And yeah, when you get the lineup read, you just try to supply some energy there early and just try to carry that into the game. And I think throughout the lineup … I think we were able to roll through our lines and deliver a pretty solid effort.

“It was a pretty big game here in Game 2.”

Especially from Newhook who, just five days earlier, scored the series-winning goal in the third period of Game 7 that gave the Canadiens a 2-1 victory to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round on Sunday.

Almost a week later, the St. John’s, Newfoundland native was at it again.

“He’s a funny guy before games,” teammate Jake Evans said. “You don’t really talk much to him and then he gets the lineup and he’s quite vocal. That lineup read depicted how he played tonight. He was relentless the whole night and had to be the fastest guy on the ice out there. He’s just a really good playoff player.”

He’s not alone when it comes to the Canadiens.

In fact, Montreal’s resiliency is symbolized by their trend of not having lost two games in a row in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But it goes even further than that.

The Canadiens haven’t lost consecutive games since coming out on the short end of decisions to the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks on March 14 and 15. And in their minds, they weren’t going to let it happen this time either after dropping Game 1, 4-2, a contest in which coach Martin St. Louis felt his team didn’t play poorly in, aside from surrendering a couple of early goals.

During his morning media availability Friday, St. Louis was asked what his team’s mindset was heading into Game 2.

“Compete,” he replied. “Go play. We talked about a few things and try to execute that a bit better and put ourselves in a spot to win a game.”

St. Louis, like Newhook, was doing more than just talking before the game. According to goalie Jakub Dobes, the coach delivered his own epic rallying cry prior to his players stepping onto the ice.

“I can’t tell you,” Dobes told Sportsnet when asked what exactly St, Louis said. “But ‘Marty’ had an unbelievable speech before the game. I will probably remember it for maybe the rest of my career. The rest of the series for sure.

“Today, the speech was really good. Hopefully he brings something good next game as well. I feel everyone after his speech was fired up. I liked our effort and our fire in the game.”

There was no shortage of fire in the goalie’s performance. There rarely is. During one scrum near the Canadiens crease in the second period, he emerged with the stick of one of the Sabres and chucked it into the corner before exchanging words with Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin.

"He's a competitor,” St. Louis said of Dobes, who made 29 saves. “That's all he's doing is competing out there, and I feel like he's doing that and being himself.”

Now, after three road games in six days, the Canadiens return to the raucous confines of Bell Centre for Game 3 on Sunday (7 p.m. ET: CBC, TVAS, SN, ESPN).

“It’s been a long trip,” Dobes said. “Can’t wait to get home. I cannot wait to get my gear and sleep in my own bed and do my own stuff.

“Really excited to get back.”

Especially now with the series turning into a best three out of five with Montreal holding home-ice advantage.