Kirby Dach leaves Sunday game against Ducks with apparent injury

There are some sentences that you hear too often, and unfortunately for the Montreal Canadiens, the phrase "Kirby Dach will not return to play tonight" is one of the most frequent. That phrase was once again uttered Sunday night after Dach was hit high by Anaheim Ducks forward Jeffrey Viel.

Dach, who was sidelined for months after taking a slapshot to the foot during a November 15th game with the Boston Bruins, had returned to play on January 20 and had been stacking good games in his hopeful return to form. Dach had accumulated three goals and four assists four seven points, in the 16 games he had been back in action. Dach has yet to play a full 82-game season in his seven years in the NHL, his closest being the 2021-2022 season, where he logged 70 games with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Since his return to the Habs lineup, Dach had spent a stint of time on the first line before shifting down to the third line with mainstay Jake Evans and, until very recently, Zach Bolduc. A responsible depth line that brought a lot of defensive responsibility and forechecking pressure on the offence.

The one bright side, if one could fathom to call it that, would be lineup clarity. At a time where Brendan Gallagher, Alex Texier and Zach Bolduc have been jockeying for position on the third and fourth lines, Dach's vacant spot would allow all three to remain in the lineup, should Dach miss any time.

At the time of writing the extent of Dach's injury is not known and it is likely we will not know for a few days while the player is assesed.