Montreal Wins Game 7 With Just 9 Shots and Tampa Bay Still Can't Believe It

The Montreal Canadiens just pulled off one of the most efficient playoff wins you'll ever see. They beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Sunday night, and they did it with only nine shots on net. Nine. That's playoff hockey at its absolute most brutal for the losing team.

Newhook's Ricochet in the Third Seals It

Alex Newhook scored the winner at 11:07 of the third period on a ricochet shot that bounced off Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Nick Suzuki had also lit the lamp earlier to give Montreal the cushion they needed. Tampa Bay got one back on a power-play goal from Dominic James in the second period, but it wasn't enough. The Lightning just couldn't find the back of the net when it mattered.

Dobes Was Absolutely Locked In

Jakab Dobes was the real star for Montreal. The Canadiens goaltender finished with 29 saves, turning away everything the Lightning threw at him. That's the kind of goaltending performance that wins Game 7s. The shots came hard and fast from Tampa Bay all night, but Dobes stood tall.

"It's been a hard series," Suzuki said on TNT after the win. "You have to give them a lot of credit. They made it super difficult on us. To get one in the first period, kind of made the group settle down a bit. But, it was just a great battle, the whole series." He added, "The guys really dug in there at the end."

Lightning Head Home Again

This is the fourth consecutive first-round exit for Tampa Bay. The Canadiens move on to face the Buffalo Sabres in Round 2, while the Lightning pack it in and head home. That's a brutal streak for a franchise that's been used to deeper runs.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.