The Montreal Canadiens found a turning point in Game 3, and head coach Martin St. Louis backed Kirby Dach after a difficult stretch marked by online abuse. Montreal beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime to take a 2-1 series lead in the first round of the NHL playoffs, but the story centered on Dach’s response under pressure.
Dach faced intense criticism after Game 2, where late mistakes led to a goal by J.J. Moser. The backlash crossed the line, with personal threats forcing him to deactivate his Instagram account. Despite that, St. Louis made his stance clear after Game 3.
Speaking to the media, St. Louis said he would not give up on a player who still believes in himself.
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“I wouldn’t give up on a person unless they gave up on themselves,” St Louis said in French. “Kirby Dach is a very good hockey player. Like every good hockey player, they make mistakes sometimes at key moments. It happens to everyone. It happens to good players. Of course, he was disappointed, but that’s not a reason to give up on a player.”
The coach’s belief shaped Montreal’s approach. Instead of dropping Dach, St. Louis trusted him to play in Game 3. The forward responded with a goal and an assist in a composed display, including the game-tying goal in the second period. His presence around the net proved vital, especially during the overtime winner scored by Lane Hutson.
The Bell Centre crowd also played its part. Fans chanted Dach’s name before puck drop, turning the mood from criticism to support.
That energy carried into the game, where Montreal’s depth stepped up as Alexandre Texier opened the scoring.
Postgame, Dach also shared how he handled his Game 2 mistakes before quickly resetting. He focused on moving forward for Game 3, and added that strong support from teammates, coaches, and staff helped him recover mentally and deliver a better performance when it mattered most.
“I think you take that night Tuesday night and you kind of maybe sit in it, dwell in it,” Dach said. “Understand what you could have done better. But come Wednesday morning, you got to be able to move on and get ready for tonight’s game. And that’s kind of where my mindset was. And I think as a competitor and anybody, you want to be able to bounce back and put your best foot forward.
“At the same time, we have such a great group of guys here. Everybody was lifting me up and helping me out and training staff and coaches. So it definitely wasn’t just myself kind of digging myself out of that hole, but I had a lot of support and help.”
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Dach’s turnaround has now also strengthened the Habs’ position early in the series. From online backlash to on-ice impact, he flipped the narrative within days. With momentum and belief growing, the Canadiens head into Game 4 with both confidence and clarity.