What happened: Montreal eliminated Tampa Bay on the road in Game 7 to win their first-round series. The Canadiens will now face the Buffalo Sabres in the next round of the playoffs. The clincher in Tampa caps a back-and-forth series that included a 19-shot Lightning push to force overtime earlier in the game per ESPN.

Why it matters: The result ends Tampa Bay's run and keeps Montreal's postseason alive against a divisional opponent in Buffalo. It continues a tightly contested series that swung repeatedly between the two clubs, with Montreal having taken a series lead in Game 5 before Tampa forced a decisive seventh game. A Canadiens-Sabres matchup sets up an all-original-six-era northeast clash with travel and rest implications for both rosters.

What to watch: Watch for the Canadiens-Sabres series schedule and opening line, plus any injury updates from Montreal coming out of a physical seven-game series. Tampa Bay shifts to offseason mode with roster and cap questions ahead.