Kirby Dach struggles to stand out in first‑line audition vs. Senators

Kirby Dach was once again put in a position to make a statement on Saturday night in Ottawa, but left more questions than answers. Slotted on the right wing of the Montreal Canadiens’ first line in a largely AHL-heavy lineup, the 25-year-old took a 4–3 pre-season loss to the Ottawa Senators as another missed chance to firmly stake his claim.

Dach logged a team-high 21:21 among Canadiens forwards and was used on the top power-play unit. Assistant coach Derek Lalonde, running the bench in Kanata while Martin St. Louis stayed in Montreal with the other split-squad group, clearly tried to lean on his NHL regulars against Ottawa’s best players.

Top-six job on the line, execution still uneven

Despite the opportunity, Dach’s night was marked by inconsistent execution and stretches where his engagement level was questioned. In the second period, a passive glide in the defensive zone left Carter Yakemchuk unchecked in the slot, leading to Ottawa’s third goal and widening the gap to 3–1.

Post-game, Dach maintained that he feels progress in his overall game, saying his focus this camp has been on cleaning up details and playing more mature defence rather than chasing numbers. He insisted he is confident, even if that growth hasn’t consistently translated into impact shifts at five-on-five.

Lalonde publicly backed his forward, describing his camp as solid, but context matters. The summer addition of Chris Kreider has crowded the Canadiens’ top six, and Dach’s grip on a scoring role is no longer secure. If his intensity and detail don’t ramp up, a slide into a depth-line assignment would likely help neither the player nor the team.

There were brighter flashes late. After Montreal’s depth lines clawed back from 3–1 to tie the game 3–3, Dach and linemates Zachary Bolduc and Oliver Kapanen finally generated more pressure in the offensive zone, although it ultimately wasn’t enough to change the result.

Penalty trouble exposes PK, prospects seize their chance

Beyond Dach’s individual storyline, discipline — or lack of it — defined the Canadiens’ night. Montreal spent 28 minutes in the penalty box, handing the Senators eight power plays. All four Ottawa goals came with the man advantage, giving Lalonde’s new-look penalty kill plenty of reps but under less-than-ideal circumstances.

Several of the players used short-handed are not expected to be regular penalty killers, including Zachary Bolduc. He pointed to broken sticks, an extended five-on-three and some unfriendly bounces as factors in the damage, while stressing that video work will be key to turning the experience into something constructive.

Offensively, the Canadiens’ most dangerous trio was the second line of Brett Berard, Hunter McKown and Sasha Pastujov, which combined for two of Montreal’s three goals. Berard, acquired from the New York Rangers this summer in a trade for William Trudeau, made a strong impression with his relentless net-front work that produced the opening goal. The 24-year-old winger is expected to report to the Laval Rocket once the next round of cuts is made.

Lalonde praised Berard as a high-energy worker who has stood out throughout camp and made an impact in each pre-season appearance. On the back end, Arber Xhekaj delivered a solid performance alongside Jayden Struble in a puck-moving role. While he doesn’t bring the same offensive flair as Lane Hutson, his heavy shot again looked like a weapon when given space.

By contrast, Kapanen was relatively quiet despite his first-line assignment, in a game where Montreal’s only established NHLers were tasked with matching up against Ottawa’s top group. As final roster decisions loom, Dach and his linemates remain under scrutiny, while some of the organization’s hopefuls are doing more with their limited window to impress.