Following the disappointing night that was game six at the Bell Centre, the Montreal Canadiens had one more chance in game seven against the Buffalo Sabres. Everything seemed to be going according to plan after one period, with them playing well, and opening up a two-goal lead going into the second. But the second and third periods were dominated by Buffalo, the worst lead in hockey was eventually erased, and the Habs essentially held on to get to overtime.
Then, it happened. For the second time in as many game sevens, Alex Newhook stepped up to be the hero that Montreal needed.
ALEX NEWHOOK GARDE LE CH EN VIE! pic.twitter.com/8IGuNpZxbd
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 19, 2026
If there were a Conn Smythe trophy for each team, it might be a two-horse race between Newhook and Jakub Dobeš right now. Lane Hutson would certainly have a word or two in that conversation, but it’s hard to properly express the importance of Newhook to this team’s success. They’ve played two incredibly tight series, and at almost every point where the team needed a big goal, there was the kid from Newfoundland to get it for them. He may not be leading the team in points, but he’s definitely the leader when it comes to performing in the clutch.
In fact, Newhook was arguably the most impactful player for the Habs through the entire seven games against Buffalo.
Final series impact card for the Montréal Canadiens after beating the Sabres 4-3 pic.twitter.com/7upuENuSmj
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) May 19, 2026
There have been questions about the trade to acquire him ever since Kent Hughes pulled that trigger. Those questions didn’t get any quieter during this season, particularly when he was limited to 42 games of action by injury. But when he was in the lineup, the impact of his speed was evident, and the Habs were a better team with him around than with him on the shelf. He wasn’t blowing the doors off with his production, but he was an important player in their middle-six to provide some scoring when the top dogs couldn’t make it happen.
And that’s exactly what he’s been doing in these playoffs. The fact that he’s been able to do it in the biggest moments is just the icing on the cake of what has been an astounding playoffs from the Newfoundlander. Nobody is wondering about that trade at this point, and Kent Hughes is likely sitting back with a slight grin on his face, knowing that his acquisition has chosen the best possible time to put those questions to bed.
A tall task awaits them in the Eastern Conference final, but this team has faced their fair share of adversity through two rounds. If a player like Alex Newhook can keep coming in clutch, the Vegas odds be damned, they’re not a team to take lightly.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Thursday night for game one against the Carolina Hurricanes.
