Montreal Just Won a Game 7 With Only 9 Shots and It's Still Hard to Believe

The Montreal Canadiens pulled off something you almost never see in playoff hockey. They beat the favored Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Sunday night, and they did it with just nine shots on goal. Nine. That's the kind of number that makes you check the box score twice.

Alex Newhook scored the winner at 11:07 of the third period on a ricochet off Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Nick Suzuki had the other goal. The Lightning got one back via Dominic James on the power play in the second, but that's all they could muster against a Canadiens team playing with zero room for error.

The Goalie Show

This whole Game 7 hinged on Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes. The guy made 29 saves and allowed only that one power-play goal. Coming into the season as the backup, Dobes has been playing like his job depends on every single shot, and on Sunday night it absolutely did.

"I feel like every game I've played this year is kind of like a Game 7 for me," Dobes said after the win. "To be honest, I was playing for my life the whole season, so this is not new to me. I just try to prove myself, and play with passion, play with emotion, and play with my 100% effort."

When Vasilevskiy pulled for the extra attacker late, Dobes stood tall. Brandon Hagel nearly got one past him with an open net in the final minute during a 6-on-5 situation, but the Canadiens held firm.

Lucky Bounces in the Right Spots

Here's the wild part: Montreal got both goals from its first eight shots. Newhook's winner came off a backhanded swat after a Lane Hutson slap shot bounced around the crease. Lucky? Sure. But that's playoff hockey sometimes.

According to ESPN Research, nine shots is the second lowest in a playoff game since they started tracking the stat officially. The only lower total for a winning team? Toronto's six shots back in 2000 against New Jersey, except the Leafs lost that one.

Nick Suzuki summed it up perfectly after: "It's been a hard series. You have to give them a lot of credit. They made it super difficult on us." Every game went by one goal. Four went to overtime. This was as close as playoff hockey gets.

What's Next

Montreal moves on to face Buffalo in Round 2, with Game 1 set for Wednesday in New York. Tampa Bay heads home after a first-round exit for the fourth straight season. The Lightning played in front of their 461st consecutive sellout crowd, but it wasn't enough.

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