Story perspectives

Kirby Dach Silences Critics, Scores OT Winner for Montreal

4/25/2026

Summary

Dach Scores Overtime

Forward Kirby Dach deactivated Instagram after harmful fan messages following Game 2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay.
Coach Martin St. Louis, Captain Nick Suzuki, Kaiden Guhle and Arber Xhekaj defended Dach, calling criticism excessive and reminding players make mistakes.
Fans chanted Dach’s name in Game 3 as he scored the overtime winner, recording one goal and 18:22 ice time to give Montreal a 2-1 series lead.

Summary

Dach Powers Line

Dach, Texier and Bolduc combined for six points in Game 3.
The line accounted for six of Montreal’s 29 shots.
It was Dach’s first multi-point outing since Jan. 29.
Injuries limited Dach to 37 games, eight goals and 15 points before the playoffs.
He posted one point with a –3 rating in his last ten games.

Summary

St-Louis Zoom Call

Martin St-Louis held an impromptu Zoom call with reporters the morning after the loss, a rare move.
Pierre McGuire called Kirby Dach’s overtime error unacceptable, with Priyanta Emrith saying the Zoom was unexpected and defending Dach’s icing mistake.
Martin St-Louis said he had not yet re-watched the tape but praised Kirby Dach’s combativeness.
The Zoom session was separate from the usual post-game press conference, indicating a deliberate internal messaging effort.

History

Historical Context

When the Canadiens backed rookie Kirby Dach after his Instagram abuse following the 2024 Lightning loss, they echoed a league-wide shift that began with the NHL’s 1917 founding and later safety reforms—such as the 44.3% share of head injuries among Canadian youth—that have spurred new safety protocols. The 32-team league now routinely intervenes to protect players.

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Dach Scores Overtime

Forward Kirby Dach deactivated Instagram after harmful fan messages following Game 2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay.
Coach Martin St. Louis, Captain Nick Suzuki, Kaiden Guhle and Arber Xhekaj defended Dach, calling criticism excessive and reminding players make mistakes.
Fans chanted Dach’s name in Game 3 as he scored the overtime winner, recording one goal and 18:22 ice time to give Montreal a 2-1 series lead.

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