BUFFALO, N.Y. — 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.“For a long time it’s been talking about the rebuild and rebuild. I think as a group we’re a little tired of that whole kind of viewpoint, as if we have to keep being patient and wait, and our time will come,” he said. “So I feel it’s exciting for us and motivating for us to see that we’re at this stage already.”The win was Montreal’s second in a Game 7 this postseason, with both coming on the road and both decided by Newhook. The second-line forward also scored the tie-breaking goal 11:07 into the third period in Game 7 of Montreal’s 2-1 first-round series-clinching win over Tampa Bay.Next up are the well-rested Hurricanes in a series that opens at Carolina on Thursday night. The Hurricanes have swept each of their first two rounds, and been off since a 3-2 overtime win against Philadelphia on May 9.The Canadiens reached the NHL’s semif …
