The Montreal Canadiens are in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. On Monday, the Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in overtime to win the best out of seven Eastern Conference semifinal series four games to three.
You could make the argument that Canadiens centre Alex Newhook of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador scored the biggest goal in the National Hockey League this season. You simply cannot score a bigger goal than an overtime winner in the seventh game of a playoff series. Newhook scored from Alexandre Carrier of Quebec City, Quebec at 11:22 of the extra period.
Newhook was one of three Canadians to score for the Canadiens in the game. The other two were Phillip Danault of Victoriaville, Quebec and Zachary Bolduc of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. Danault and Bolduc both scored first period goals to put Montreal up 2-0. Bolduc’s goal came on the power-play to put Montreal up 2-0 at the time. The Sabres responded with a second period goal and a third period goal.
This was Newhook’s first Stanley Cup Playoff overtime winner. Newhook won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.
Montreal has now won the only two seventh games in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Montreal beat Tampa Bay 2-1 in the seventh game on May 3. The Canadiens will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final starting Thursday in Raleigh.
