Alex Newhook etched his name into NHL history after becoming the first player in 15 years to score multiple Game 7-winning goals in the same postseason.

Newhook scored in overtime on Monday evening as the Montreal Canadiens grabbed a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference second round.

The center joined a selected company, matching retired winger Nathan Horton's feat during the 2011 NHL playoffs for the Boston Bruins.

As the game sat in overtime, both the Canadiens and Sabres were locked in a tense back-and-forth. At 11 minutes and 22 seconds, Newhook raced past a slew of Sabres players and slotted it past goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

With his game-winning goal, Newhook replicated his playoff heroics from two weeks ago. The 25-year-old scored the decisive winner to seal a 4-3 series win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Benchmark Arena.

The center is adding to his impressive postseason, having now registered 9 points in 14 playoff games.

For Montreal, this marks their first return to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2021. With the Hurricanes waiting for them, Newhook will aim to continue his clutch performances and surpass Horton's 2011 playoff legend.

Nathan Horton’s 2011 Bruins Playoff Heroics

Nathan Horton delivered a series of memorable playoff moments during Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup run. Fans will immediately recall his clutch Game 7 performances.

He smashed in two series-winning goals during that postseason and became one of Boston’s most important players in high-stakes situations.

One of those goals came against the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, when Horton scored the overtime winner in Boston’s 4-3 Game 7 victory. This added to his playoff heroics, as he had also scored the double-overtime winner in the Bruins’ 2-1 win in Game 5.

Horton pushed for more and scored another clutch goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. His goal sealed Boston's 1-0 win in Game 7 and sent them to the Stanley Cup Final, where they faced the Vancouver Canucks.

Unfortunately, his fairytale run came to a grinding halt in Game 3 of the finals against the Canucks. The winger suffered a severe concussion and had to be stretchered off the ice. While his season came to an end, the Bruins rallied and clinched a 4-3 series victory to take home their sixth Stanley Cup.

With the Canadiens on the cusp of their four-year rebuild, Newhook might have to recreate his magic against the Carolina Hurricanes on May 22. Montreal will rely on its young core in pursuit of its first Stanley Cup triumph in 33 years.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Sijo Paul