The Montreal Canadiens will kick off their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday afternoon. The Habs will, of course, be looking to start the series on the right foot by picking up a victory in Game 1. With the Lightning being a very good team with plenty of stars, the Canadiens will need their players to be on their A-game if they hope to get by them. This undoubtedly includes forward Kirby Dach. Dach had a tough 2025-26 season for the Canadiens. He was limited to only 37 games this season with the Habs, where he had eight goals, seven assists, and 15 points. Overall, the 25-year-old forward did not have the bounce-back year he was hoping for. However, the postseason now offers Dach a clean slate, and the Canadiens need him to take advantage of it. If he can tap into his offensive potential more during the playoffs, it would be huge for a Montreal club that is looking to go on a real run this spring. Dach is entering the playoffs on a cold streak, though, as he had zero goals and one assist over his final nine games of the regular season. It will be interesting to see if he can heat up in a big way for the Habs with the playoffs now here.
