Sometimes, being a professional athlete isn’t easy. One moment, the fans love you, the next, they’re on you. Over the course of the NHL Playoffs series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kirby Dach has experienced both sides of that reality.
In what’s arguably been the best series of the playoffs so far, Montreal holds a 3–2 lead. Dach’s name has been all over it, but not always for the right reasons. In a city like Montreal, home to one of the league’s most historic franchises, fan reactions come fast and loud. You feel the love, and you definitely feel the criticism.
Game 1 was relatively quiet for Dach, as Juraj Slafkovský stole the spotlight, but in Game 2, things shifted. A costly icing followed by a questionable dive on J.J. Moser contributed to Tampa Bay’s overtime win, and the backlash was immediate. The criticism escalated to the point where Dach deactivated his Instagram account. Heading back home for Game 3, the reception was uncertain.
But when he stepped onto the ice at the Bell Centre, he was met with chants of his name. What he feared might be a harsh welcome turned into a powerful show of support. In hindsight, it felt less personal and more like fans needing someone to blame in the moment.
That support translated into performance. In Game 3, Dach recorded an early assist and later scored the tying goal to force overtime. Lane Hutson would go on to win it, giving Montreal a 2–1 series lead.
Dach was quieter in Game 4, but his line continued to make an impact. Then came Game 5, and his moment again. In the second period, he pulled off a highlight-reel move, kicking the puck back to his stick and finishing past Andrei Vasilevskiy to give Montreal the lead. The Canadiens would end up getting the win and now control the series.
Playing in Montreal means living under a microscope. The expectations are relentless, and the criticism can be sharp, but it also means having a fanbase that will rally behind you just as strongly. As Dach has learned over this series, that support can make all the difference.
