Canadiens advance to second round after Game 7 win over Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 21 in Game 7 on Sunday night in Tampa, Fla. Nick Suzuki opened the scoring, Alex Newhook scored the winner in the third period, and goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves to secure the seriesclinching victory. Montreal won the bestofseven series 43 in a tightly contested matchup that featured seven onegoal games and four overtimes. The Canadiens, who were outshot heavily in Game 7, relied on strong goaltending and timely scoring to pull out the road win. The victory sends Montreal to the second round for the first time since 2021, where it will face the Buffalo Sabres beginning Wednesday in Buffalo. The result also marks another step in the Canadiens’ rebuild, while the Lightning exit in the first round for the fourth straight year.