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Fewest shots in an NHL playoff win: How Canadiens took Game 7 over Lightning despite historically low shot output originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Montreal Canadiens are moving on — even if mathematically, their chances of doing so on Sunday night were low.
With a 2-1 victory in Game 7 over the Tampa Bay Lighting, the Canadiens advanced in the Stanley Cup playoffs to face the top-seeded Buffalo Sabres.
Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook both scored for Montreal with the team's season on the line, but almost impressively, those two goals were among the few shots the Canadiens were even able to take against the Lightning. In their win, the Canadiens set a new NHL playoff record relating to their unbelievably low total of just nine shots on goal.
Here's a look at where the Canadiens' Game 7 performance now ranks among the fewest shot attempts in an NHL playoff victory.
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Fewest shots in an NHL playoff win
The result of Sunday's Game 7 was encouraging for Montreal, as it will live to see another playoff series against Buffalo. But the path to get there was historically tough.
The Canadiens set an NHL record for the fewest shots on goal in a playoff victory, totaling just nine shots over three periods — two of which went in, leading to the win,
They broke the previous record of 10 shots in a playoff win, held by the 2024 Oilers, 1990 Devils and 1974 Blackhawks.
| Shots on Goal | Team | Date | Opponent | Final Score |
| 9 | Canadiens | May 3, 2026 | Lightning | Canadiens 2, Lightning 1 |
| 10 | Oilers | June 2, 2024 | Stars | Oilers 2, Stars 1 |
| 10 | Devils | Apr. 9, 1990 | Capitals | Devils 2, Capitals 1 |
| 10 | Blackhawks | Apr. 13, 1974 | Kings | Blackhawks 1, Kings 0 |
| 11 | Flyers | Apr. 22, 2016 | Capitals | Flyers 2, Capitals 0 |
| 11 | Capitals | May 13, 1998 | Senators | Capitals 2, Senators 0 |
For Montreal, Game 7 had a some rough patches. The Canadiens didn't notch a single shot-on-goal in the second period — the first time in franchise history that they failed to register a shot in a full period in a playoff game.
Of the Canadiens' nine shots, four were in the first frame, including Suzuki's goal.
Their final five shots came in the final period, including the eventual game-winner from Newhook.
MORE: Has the Penguins' "Big 3" played its last game together?
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