Canadiens Reach Eastern Final After 3-2 OT Win Over Sabres

The Montreal Canadiens, the NHL’s youngest team, have advanced to the Eastern Conference Final, completing a rapid rebuild that began just three years after a last-place finish. The team clinched the series with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 on Monday night at KeyBank Center.

Captain Nick Suzuki, one of the few players remaining from the team’s unexpected run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, acknowledged the difficult journey. He noted the organization went from that final appearance to finishing last in the entire league before reaching its current position. The process accelerated with the hiring of Jeff Gorton to lead hockey operations in late 2021, followed by the appointments of General Manager Kent Hughes and Head Coach Martin St. Louis in early 2022.

The Canadiens bottomed out in the standings that season, securing the first overall pick in the 2022 draft, which they used to select winger Juraj Slafkovsky. Strategic trades brought in key players like defenseman Mike Matheson and forwards Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. Newhook has scored two crucial Game 7 overtime winners this postseason, first against the Tampa Bay Lightning and then against Buffalo.