#NHLPeachy @NHL #NHLStats Pack: Sabres Survive Another Intense Atmosphere at Bell Centre to Force Game 7 vs. Canadiens
Monday, May 18, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
Game 7 History
* This will be the 203rd Game 7 in Stanley Cup Playoffs history and second in 2026.
* This the 19th consecutive year with multiple Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* Three of the past six Stanley Cup champions required a Game 7 win along the way: Florida in the Second Round last year as well as the 2024 Final, and Tampa Bay in the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals.
Game 7 History – Buffalo and Montreal
* This will be the first Game 7 between the Sabres and Canadiens. It will be the 130th unique Game 7 matchup in Stanley Cup Playoffs history and second of these playoffs (also MTL vs. TBL).
* The Sabres will contest their eighth all-time Game 7 (1-6 in 7 GP) and third at home (1-1). Both of Buffalo’s Game 7s at home required overtime: 2001 Conference Semifinals (3-2 L vs. PIT) and their lone Game 7 victory in the 1997 Conference Quarterfinals (3-2 W vs. OTT).
* This will be Buffalo’s first Game 7 since the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals (5-2 L at PHI). Luke Schenn is the only player from across the Sabres and Canadiens rosters who was in the NHL at that time. Current Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis finished third in playoff scoring that year as he led the Lightning to Game 7 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Final, a loss against the Bruins on the strength of Nathan Horton’s second Game 7-clinching goal of those playoffs (the first was vs. MTL).
* The Canadiens will contest their 26th all-time Game 7 (16-9 in 25 GP) and 15th on the road (8-6 in 14 GP). Montreal can overtake Boston (16) for the most Game 7 wins in Stanley Cup Playoffs history and extend their own benchmark for Game 7 road victories.
* Montreal has required overtime in six Game 7s (3-3), including twice on the road (0-2). Their victories were in the 1992 Division Semifinals (vs. HFD), 1986 Division Finals (vs. HFD) and 1979 Semifinals (vs. BOS) and their defeats in the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals (at BOS), 1985 Division Finals (vs. QUE) and 1954 Stanley Cup Final (at DET).
* Buffalo has gone to overtime three times in Game 7s (1-2; in addition to the two home contests noted above, they also played extra time on the road in their first-ever Game 7, a loss in the 1983 DF at BOS).
* Buffalo has had all but two of its Game 7s decided by one goal (5 of 7; 1-4 record), while Montreal has had 11 of its Game 7s resolved that way (11 of 25; 6-5 record).
* Since all rounds went to best-of-seven in 1987, six eventual Stanley Cup champions required a Game 7 in the opening round (2014 LAK, 2011 BOS, 1992 PIT, 1991 PIT, 1990 EDM & 1989 CGY).
* Montreal will contest multiple Game 7s in one postseason for the third time, with each instance including two road winner-take-all contests. In 2010, they also did so in each of the first two rounds, claiming wins in Washington (CQF) and Pittsburgh (CSF) to reach the Eastern Conference Final. In 1971, rookie goaltender Ken Dryden guided them to wins in Boston (QF) and Chicago (SCF).
* Thirteen Stanley Cup champions have contested multiple Game 7s, most recently the 2019 Blues (R2 & SCF) backed by rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington. That list includes three teams that did so in each of their first two series: the 2014 Kings (CQF, CSF & CF), 1964 Maple Leafs (SF & SCF) and 1950 Red Wings (SF & SCF). Of note: the 2014 instance is the only time a champion did so in a postseason that consisted of more than two rounds.
Players and Head Coaches in Game 7s
Based on active roster (excluding Injury Reserve List).
* Twenty-seven players in this series have played in a Game 7 during the Stanley Cup Playoffs (BUF: 8; MTL: 19), for a total of 47 appearances in Game 7s (BUF: 16; MTL: 31). Buffalo players have a combined 9-7 team record in Game 7s, compared to a 26-5 mark for Montreal players. Sabres skaters have accumulated 3-2—5 in Game 7s while Canadiens skaters have 3-8—11.
* Alex Tuch (1-1—2 in 3 GP; 2-1 record) and Tanner Pearson (2-1—3 in 4 GP; 3-1 record) are the only Sabres players with multiple career points in Game 7s. Pearson, who has yet to play this postseason, accumulated each of his points across three Game 7s with the 2014 Kings (the second team in NHL history, after the 2011 Bruins, to win three Game 7s in a postseason). Pearson’s fourth and most recent Game 7 came with Vancouver in the 2020 Second Round played in Edmonton, against now-teammate Tuch, who scored into an empty net to seal a Vegas victory in his second of three Game 7 appearances (all w/ VGK).
* Two Canadiens players have played more than two Game 7s: Brendan Gallagher (1-2—3 in 3 GP; 3-0 record) and Phillip Danault (0-1—1 in 3 GP; 2-1 record). Gallagher is one of three current Canadiens with multiple career Game 7 points, along with Nick Suzuki (1-1—2 in 2 GP; 2-0 record) and Kaiden Guhle (0-2—2 in 1 GP; 1-0 record) who both found the score sheet in the team’s last winner-take-all.
* Alex Newhook is the only player in this series with a winning goal in a Game 7 after scoring the tiebreaking goal with 8:53 left in the third period in the last round at Tampa Bay. Only one player in NHL history has multiple Game 7 clinchers in one postseason (Nathan Horton: 2 w/ 2011 BOS, including 1 vs. MTL) and only 13 have multiple in their career (two active: Bryan Rust and Wyatt Johnston, both w/ 2).
* Nine Canadiens players made their Game 7 debut in the last round, including goaltender Jakub Dobes who became the tenth different rookie to play any winner-take-all for the Canadiens and sixth to contest a Game 7. Montreal rookie goaltenders have a combined 7-4 record across their 11 previous winner-take-all contests (6-2 in Game 7s).
* Jakub Dobes became the fifth Canadiens rookie to win any Game 7, following Carey Price (5-0 W in 2008 CQF vs. BOS), Patrick Roy (2-1 OT W in 1986 DF vs. HFD), Ken Dryden (3-2 W in 1971 SCF at CHI & 4-2 W in 1971 QF at BOS) and Jacques Plante (4-1 W in 1953 SF vs. CHI). Dobes, Dryden (2x) and Plante are the only Montreal rookie goaltenders to play a Game 7 on the road, with Dobes (1-0) and Dryden (2-0) the only rookie netminders in club history to win a road Game 7.
* Jakub Dobes can join Ken Dryden (3-0), Carey Price (3-1), Jaroslav Halak (2-0) and Patrick Roy (2-2) as the only Canadiens goaltenders with multiple career Game 7 wins. Only Dryden (1971) and Halak (2010) won multiple in one playoff year.
* Jakub Dobes can become the 12th rookie goaltender to play/start multiple Game 7s and first since Jordan Binnington (2-0 in 2019 w/ STL). Ken Dryden (2-0 in 1971) was the first rookie in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to play multiple Game 7s – and the only Montreal rookie netminder to do so. Overall, rookie goaltenders are 32-34 in Game 7s (plus five no decisions), including a 15-17 mark on the road (plus four no decisions) – with six rookies contributing multiple Game 7 wins: Binnington, Matt Murray (1 each in 2016 & 2017 w/ PIT), Cam Ward (2-0 in 2006 w/ CAR), Felix Potvin (2-1 in 1993 w/ TOR), Mike Vernon (2-0 in 1986 w/ CGY) and Dryden.
* Lindy Ruff (1-4 in 5 GC) will seek his second straight Game 7 win (2023 R1 w/ NJD vs. NYR). This will be his fourth Game 7 with Buffalo, following the 2001 Conference Semifinals (vs. PIT), 2006 Conference Finals (at CAR) and 2011 Conference Quarterfinals (at PHI).
* Lindy Ruff will become the third head coach and fifth individual overall (including players) to go at least 15 years between Game 7s with one franchise, following head coaches Darryl Sutter (16 years w/ CGY; 2006 to 2022) and Al Arbour (15 years w/ NYI; 1978 to 1993) as well as players Brendan Shanahan (18 years w/ NJD; 1991 to 2009) and Ed Jovanovski (16 years w/ FLA; 1996 to 2012).
* Martin St. Louis logged two assists and a 6-2 record in eight career Game 7s as a player and is now 1-0 as a head coach. St. Louis, who will turn 51 next month, would be the youngest head coach to earn his second Game 7 victory since 2017 when Mike Sullivan claimed his at age 49.
* Find career Game 7 statistics for all current players and head coaches in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Interactive Information Guide (Buffalo: page 24; Montreal: page 32).
Game 7 Trends and Records.NHL.com Links
* The team that scores first is 152-50 (.752) in the 202 all-time Game 7s (1-0 in 2026).
* Home teams own a 118-84 (.584) advantage in the 202 all-time Game 7s (0-1 in 2026).
* 105 of the 202 all-time Game 7s (52.0%) have been decided by a one-goal margin, including the only one thus far in 2026.
* 50 Game 7s have required overtime (24.8%); home teams have a 27-23 (.540) edge in those contests (1-0 in 2025). Fourteen Game 7s have required multiple OT periods (last: STL at WPG in 2025 R1) and two have extended beyond that (NYI at WSH 4 OT in 1987 DSF & NYR at BOS 3OT in 1939 SF, the first-ever Game 7).
* A team has overcome a deficit to win in 62 of the 202 all-time Game 7s (30.7%), including 15 multi-goal comeback wins. The maximum deficit a winning team has faced in a Game 7 is three goals (SJS in 2019 R1, BOS in 2013 CQF, PHI in 2010 CSF, EDM in 1991 DSF & WSH in 1988 DSF).
* A team has won a Game 7 after trailing in the third period 27 times, including five multi-goal third-period comeback victories (WPG in 2025 R1, DAL in 2025 R1, SJS in 2019 R1, BOS in 2013 CQF & MTL in 1979 SF).
* There have been 36 all-time shutouts in Game 7s, 24 by the home team and 12 by the road team.
* Download the PDF for Records.NHL.com links on Skaters, Goaltenders and Teams.
