Canadiens Beat Lightning in Game 7

The Montreal Canadiens survived a shot-starved Game 7 and still found a way to knock out the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Alex Newhook and Nick Suzuki scored in a 2-1 win Sunday night, pushing Montreal through the Eastern Conference quarterfinals despite managing just nine shots on net. That number jumps off the page, but the result matters more: the Canadiens closed the series, while Tampa Bay absorbed a fourth straight first-round exit.

The game script tells its own story. Montreal did not control the puck in any overwhelming way, and it did not overwhelm the Lightning with volume. Instead, the Canadiens made their limited chances count and protected the edge. In a winner-take-all setting, efficiency carried more weight than aesthetics.

Montreal needed only nine shots on net to end Tampa Bay's season.

For Tampa Bay, the defeat lands harder because of the pattern behind it. One early playoff exit can pass as bad luck; four in a row raises bigger questions about execution and staying power when the margin tightens. Reports indicate the Lightning had the opportunity to seize control but could not break through often enough to extend their season.

Now the Canadiens move on with momentum and a reminder that playoff hockey rarely follows clean logic. The next round will test whether Montreal can keep advancing without generating more offense, while Tampa Bay heads into another offseason facing familiar scrutiny and the pressure to stop this first-round slide.