The FanDuel betting lines for the NHL's conference finals couldn't be clearer: The money is on a Colorado-Carolina Stanley Cup Final. If the money is right, this would mark the first time since 2001 that the top seed from each conference made the Stanley Cup Final.
For the second consecutive series, the Montreal Canadiens found themselves heavily on their heels in a Game 7 on the road—and yet again, they managed to pull out the win thanks to two players in particular.
I have a story straight out of the '80s to tell you. Once upon a time, two Quebecers and a Newfie headed to Buffalo. The two Quebecers helped the Habs force overtime, and the Newfie scored the game-winning goal in his second straight game.
There have been successful rookie seasons in NHL history, and there have been superior efforts worth celebrating time and time again. Here's our list of the 25 notable seasons from those with official rookie status, as deemed by the NHL, in reverse chronological order.
David Reinbacher has been injured in recent days. The defenseman, who went to Laval for the playoffs after a brief stint in Montreal, did not play in the farm team's last game due to an injury sustained during a playoff game.
In 2021, the Canadiens reached the Stanley Cup Final. Jesperi Kotkaniemi was with the Canadiens at the time. Dissatisfied with his role, he took advantage of the Hurricanes' trade offer that summer to leave Montreal.
How intense was it yesterday in Montreal? When the Canadiens scored last night, earthquakes measuring 0.5 on the Richter scale were recorded near the Bell Centre—that's how loud the fans were cheering.
The Canadiens are halfway to the Stanley Cup. Will the rest of the way be easy? No. Because after managing to knock out two big teams from the division, the next challenge is the Carolina Hurricanes.
BUFFALO – The Montreal Canadiens’ Game 7 triumph felt anything but scripted. Actually, for three and a half periods, the hockey gods appeared to be penning a beautiful narrative for the home team.
For the first time since 2021 and the second time since 2014, the Montreal Canadiens have booked themselves a spot in the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With their 3-2 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of their semifinal series, the Montreal Canadiens became the youngest team to advance to the Conference Finals since … the Montreal Canadiens, in 1993.
After getting blown out at home in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Montreal Canadiens made sure they wouldn’t make the same mistake in Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Montreal Canadiens are headed to the Eastern Conference Final after a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 on Monday night.
It's done: the Canadiens have eliminated the Sabres. Even though they finished behind the Sabres and the Lightning in the regular-season standings, the Habs managed to knock those teams out of the 2026 playoffs.
Just like in Round 1, Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook scored the series-winning goal against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, as the Habs won 3-2.
Alex Newhook scored at 11:22 of overtime to lift the visiting Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference second-round playoff matchup on Monday.
The Montreal Canadiens have advanced to the Eastern Conference final after beating the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of their second-round series. The Canadiens will take on the Carolina Hurricanes starting on Thursday, with the Hurricanes looking to stay strong after winning eight straight games.
The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres are fighting for their playoff lives in Game 7 on Monday night. Montreal is looking to make its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2014.
The Canadiens might not win this series tonight in Buffalo. That’s just the reality of playoff hockey—nothing is guaranteed, especially on the road in a Game 7-type atmosphere.
Game 7 on the road is as tough as it gets: no excuses, no next game, no hiding. One bad sequence and your season dies. For the Montreal Canadiens to survive in that building, they need a cleaner, meaner 60-minute game than they’ve shown lately.
The Montreal Canadiens may not have been viewed as one of the Stanley Cup favourites entering the playoffs, but through the first two rounds, they have proven they belong among the NHL’s remaining contenders.
Ivan Demidov came into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs carrying enormous expectations. The 20-year-old winger had just wrapped up a breakout rookie season with 62 points (19 goals and 43 assists) and was widely viewed as one of the most dangerous young forwards in the Eastern Conference.
There’s a real electric vibe around Montreal right now, and it mostly comes down to two Montreal Canadiens players: Ivan Demidov and Nick Suzuki. Demidov’s been everywhere — scoring his first playoff goal in Game 5, buzzing the net, firing shots, and setting up plays.