Canadiens’ Kirby Dach leaves game with upper-body injury

Dach sustained the injury early in the first period of Sunday’s game. When the puck was sent towards the boards, Dach went in to retrieve the puck. While he never got to the puck, Jeffrey Viel went for the hit on him, with the primary point of contact being the upper-body. Dach fell to the ice and was slow to get up, immediately going to the bench under his own strength. He did not return to the game, with the Canadiens confirming his absence before the stat of the second period.

Dach finished the game with just the one hit taken on his stat sheet in his two shifts and 1:13 of ice time, with the game still tied at 0-0 at the time of his departure.

At this point in time, there’s not further update on the severity of Dach’s injury, or how long he is expected to be out of the lineup. The Canadiens are currently at home and will continue to be on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins, so they’ll be able to properly evaluate Dach. An update should be expected either after the conclusion of Sunday’s game or sometime during a practice or morning skate prior to Tuesday’s game.

Dach has already had to deal with his fair share of injuries this season, as he missed three games with a lower-body injury in October, as well as 31 games from November to January due to a foot fracture. When he has been healthy, he’s produced around his usual rate with eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 32 games.

Should Dach miss any more action, Zachary Bolduc or Joe Veleno will likely draw into the lineup in his place, as they were the Canadiens’ lone healthy scratches for Sunday’s game.