The future has arrived for the Canadiens, who won two Game 7s and advanced to East finals‎

Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson was no different than any Montreal hockey fan, increasingly impatient over talk of the team’s promising potential. Turns out, the future has arrived perhaps a little ahead of schedule, and propelled by forward Alex Newhook’s knack for scoring Game 7 playoff series-clinching goals. “It means a lot,” Matheson said after Montreal advanced to the Eastern Conference finals courtesy of Newhook’s goal 11:22 into overtime of a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.