Martin St-Louis comes to Kirby Dach’s defense

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Martin St-Louis comes to Kirby Dach’s defense

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Apr 22, 2026 12:16 PM ET

Kirby Dach must not be feeling well this morning.

The Canadiens lost, and he played a part in the defeat. Let's be honest: his lackluster play in overtime didn't exactly impress the crowd.

Throughout the game, he was also relatively invisible. It wasn't as bad as in the first game, but it's still an unacceptable performance.

We can all agree that it didn't go over well with the public. Dach even deactivated his Instagram account, which isn't exactly the sign of a guy who's been showered with praise from the fans.

But Martin St-Louis didn't want to pile on.

This morning, while speaking to the media, the Canadiens' coach decided to defend his player. He said that the overtime sequence was just one play in the entire game.

He believes that #77 brings a physical presence and has been aggressive since returning to the lineup.

#Habs MSL says while he hasn't rewatched last night's game tape yet, Dach icing the puck was just one play and he thinks #77 brings physicality. MSL also said Dach has been playing with a fighting spirit over the last few weeks since returning from injury.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 22, 2026

In my view, saying that is the right thing to do.

I'm not saying this because Dach deserves to have St-Louis protect him. I'm saying this because the Canadiens can't afford to have headlines like “Martin St-Louis takes a shot at Kirby Dach” making the rounds.

But in reality, I can't believe the coach agrees with his own words. It's clear that MSL has made his point, and that in the next game, Dach won't be in the lineup.

Am I saying “it's clear” to convince myself more than anything else? We'll see.

Quick thoughts

– Absolutely.

What has Martin St-Louis liked about the Struble-Xhekaj pairing since the start of the series?

“Pretty much everything,” he replied this morning during a video conference.

— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) April 22, 2026