Canadiens ready to ‘embrace’ Game 7 in Eastern 2nd Round

BUFFALO -- The Montreal Canadiens would like to replicate the outcome of their previous Game 7 when they visit the Buffalo Sabres in the conclusion of the Eastern Conference Second Round at KeyBank Center on Monday (7:30 p.m ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).

The Canadiens arrive with experience playing a Game 7 this postseason, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in the first round on May 3. Other than the score, however, there’s not much from that performance they want to repeat. 

Montreal went 26:55 without a shot, including zero in the second period. It was the first time the Canadiens in their long history failed to generate a shot in a period in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Add the fact that the winning goal in the third period by Alex Newhook came via a batted puck out of the air from behind the goal line off the back of Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and, well, it’s definitely not the traditional blueprint for success.

 “I mean, it’s tight,” Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle said. “Obviously we didn’t probably play our best game. (Goalie) Jakub Dobes played great for us.

“I just think we might have gripped our sticks a little too tight.”

Guhle said it was similar to Game 6 of this series, an 8-3 loss on Saturday. Montreal allowed seven straight goals to wipe out a 3-1 lead.

“We have to just go out and play,” Guhle said. “I mean, if you told us in September that we’d be in the second round and have a Game 7 in Buffalo, we’d be pretty happy.

“So, just go play and have fun and leave it all out there.”

Newhook agreed. He’s hoping the Canadiens shed the pressure they felt in Game 7 in Tampa and just enjoy the moment of this deciding game.

The winner will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference final. Game 1 of that series will be played in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV, HBO MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS).
“It’s fun,” Newhook said. “I mean, obviously we would have liked to get it done here in six games, but Game 7s are a fun part of hockey, and I think everyone in our room is going to embrace that.

“Like I said, we’re confident in that we’ve been here before. So, we’re excited to get back to that moment and embrace it.”

Because, as Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said, there are no second chances to get it right in a Game 7.

“You don’t get a do-over,” he said. “So, just go play.”