The Montreal Canadiens booked their spot in the second round of the NHL playoffs after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in a dramatic Game 7 victory on Sunday night.
The Canadiens won a closely contested series in which all seven games were decided by one goal.
Montreal secured the decisive game despite only nine shots on goal and none during the second period.
“We got a rebound with (Alex Newhook),” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said after the game.
Captain Nick Suzuki scored the opening goal late in the first period and praised the team’s rapid progress after years of rebuilding.
“It’s probably happened faster than most people expected, but when you put a lot of great players together in a great system and great leadership, things can change quickly,” Suzuki said, according to Sportsnet.
Rookie goalie Jakub Dobes was one of the standout players throughout the series. The 24-year-old stopped 181 of 196 shots in the seven matches and made several important saves in the decider.
Montreal will now face the resurgent Buffalo Sabers in the second round after completing one of the closest playoff series in recent NHL history.
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