Sabres and Canadiens Reach 2-2 Tie in Longest Nhl Playoff Game

The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens are tied 2-2 in Game 7, and the longest nhl playoff game rules now apply. This one keeps going at 5-on-5 until someone scores, with the winner advancing to the Eastern Conference Final.

Game 7 at 2-2

The score is level at 2-2 after regulation, so the matchup moves into NHL playoff overtime rather than ending on the regular season’s 3-on-3 setup. Buffalo and Montreal are playing for the right to meet the Carolina Hurricanes.

That is the simple split between the two formats: postseason hockey stays 5-on-5, and each overtime period runs 20 minutes. If one full period ends without a goal, the teams get a break, the ice is spruced up, and they switch benches before the next one begins.

1936 Red Wings Marathon

The standard is steep because the league has already lived through longer nights. The longest NHL game came in 1936, when the Red Wings beat the Montreal Maroons in six overtime periods and logged 116 minutes and 30 seconds of extra game time.

That remains the benchmark for anyone watching a Game 7 crawl past regulation. The most recent marathon playoff game mentioned came in 2023, when the Florida Panthers beat the Hurricanes in four overtimes.

Carolina Awaits Winner

For the Sabres and Canadiens, the immediate pressure is simple: finish it before the game starts stacking extra periods. The winner moves on to face Carolina, and the playoff format leaves no room for a shortcut once regulation ends tied.

Fans following this one need to be ready for a different pace than the regular season. A 3-on-3 finish never enters the picture here; the first goal in 5-on-5 overtime decides it, even if that takes another 20 minutes or several more.