Vincent Carbonneau
Apr 23, 2026 (8:20)
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Kirby Dach gave Martin St. Louis another hard playoff question after the Canadiens’ overtime loss, and this time it was not only about his game.
Montreal lost 3-2 in overtime to Tampa Bay, then Dach did not answer media questions afterward. The request had been made, but the door stayed closed.
That is the part that sticks right now. In a playoff market like this one, silence after a rough night always gets noticed.
The comparison came fast because another player in another series handled it the other way. After a costly mistake in Buffalo, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen faced reporters and said the loss was on him.
That does not automatically make Dach the one who made the call. The organization could have shut it down. But from the outside, the image lands the same.
And that image gets heavier because Montreal has other examples in the room. Samuel Montembeault answered questions through a rough stretch this season, even with an .873 save percentage over 25 games.Jacob Fowler did the same earlier in the year after a major mistake against Philadelphia. He went to the microphones without anyone needing to drag him there.
That is why this became more than a routine postgame detail. In a playoff room, players get judged on how they handle bad nights almost as much as the bad nights themselves.
A growing problem in Montreal is tied to Kirby Dach’s silence
The numbers are not helping him either. Over his last 10 games, Dach has just 1 point and a -3 rating.
The playoff line is even thinner. Through 2 postseason games, he has 0 points and a -1 rating.
His full regular season does not offer much cover. In 37 games, he finished with 8 goals, 7 assists, and 15 points.
That is hard production to defend for a player expected to give Montreal more down the middle and bring a steadier offensive push. Right now, the output is not matching the opportunity.
There was another detail that raised eyebrows. St. Louis called an unexpected media availability yesterday morning, and Dach was not there either.
No one can say from that alone who made the decision. But the timing, the silence, and the slump all feed the same story around him.
Now the real question turns to usage. St. Louis has been building a culture around accountability, and Dach just missed a chance to show it at a moment when his place in the lineup already feels less secure.
With the series tightening and his offense stalled for weeks, the margin is getting thinner by the shift. If Dach does not answer on the ice soon, Montreal may decide to ask a different player for those minutes.
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