Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens faced the Tampa Bay Lightning in a do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday night.
Prior to puck drop, it was announced Noah Dobson would return to the lineup and participate in his first game of the playoffs, giving the Habs a considerable boost on the blue line. Defenceman Arber Xhekaj was made a healthy scratch to allow for Dobson’s presence in the lineup.
It wasn’t the prettiest game, but the Habs found a way to emerge with a 2-1 win, securing a 4-3 series victory in the process.
Let’s dive into the highlights!
O Captain, My Captain!
Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki picked the perfect time to score his first goal of the series, by tipping a point shot late in the third period.
Okay, if we’re being honest, the perfect time would have been earlier, but you can’t look a gift horse in the mouth in an elimination game.
It should be noted it was also the first time one of Suzuki, Cole Caufield, or Juraj Slafkovsky scored a goal at 5v5 versus the Lightning.
NICK SUZUKI!!!
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 3, 2026
THE HABS TAKE THE FIRST LEAD OF GAME 7 🚨 pic.twitter.com/dCcc0xh3IT
Rookie Impact
Even though the Canadiens opened the scoring, Tampa Bay clearly controlled the flow of the game, as evidenced by their 19-4 advantage in shots after two periods of play.
Yes, you read that correctly.
The Canadiens took a grand total of four shots in 40 minutes, consequently putting an unreasonable amount of pressure on rookie netminder Jakub Dobes’ shoulders.
The first-year player performed with aplomb, all things considered.
So far, so great for #GoHabsGo netminder Jakub Dobeš. pic.twitter.com/GCfv2QoExN
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 3, 2026
The Other Shoe Drops
Dobes deserved full marks for holding the fort, but the Lightning eventually broke through, a situation that was fairly predictable considering they were the only team that seemed interested in taking shots in the second period.
In fact, it was the first time in Canadiens postseason history that they failed to register a single shot in a period, far from the ideal time to start setting that type of franchise record.
WE'RE TIED IN TAMPA ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/IGLR2RiPvX
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 3, 2026
Adversity On The Menu
With everything on the line, the game came down to the final 20 minutes of the series, overtime notwithstanding.
It was a key test of whether the Canadiens were truly built differently — a team that thrived only after facing adversity — or a franchise that repeatedly fumbled series leads and failed to perform when it mattered most.
In a desperate bid to generate any semblance of offence, head coach Martin St-Louis threw his lines into the blender, placing Ivan Demidov alongside Suzuki and Slafkovsky on the top line.
The change did lead to a considerable uptick in offensive-zone pressure from the Habs, but it did not necessarily yield an abundance of shots.
To give you an idea of how few and far between the shots on net were, Suzuki’s shot five minutes into the third period was actually Montreal’s first since he scored in the first period, over 25 minutes of play.
BREAKING: THE CANADIENS TOOK A SHOT! pic.twitter.com/PddxgwHAHC
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 4, 2026
Do You Believe In Statistically Improbable Results?
With the Canadiens finally starting to regain some of the momentum, speedy forward Alex Newhook put his hand-eye coordination to good use, swatting a puck out of midair before banking it off Andrei Vasilevskiy.
It was a fantastic feat of skill from Newhook, a heartbreaking scenario for the Lightning, and yet another excellent play while facing adversity from the Habs. Oh, and it was also enough to secure the underdog series win versus Tampa Bay.
Two more angles of the smart Alex Newhook goal. #GoHabsGo https://t.co/QFc1374HON pic.twitter.com/iaI84w2xeS
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 4, 2026
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
