Kirby Dach celebrates his third-period goal with teammate Kaiden Guhle in Game 3.
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The Bell Centre was charged with emotion as images of fire filled the arena, igniting Montreal Canadiens fans who were thrilled about this playoff run, this game, and this series against the Buffalo Sabres. A spot in the Eastern Conference finals, with a matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, is at stake.
Those fans might not have been focused solely on the future, but as exciting as this postseason has been, it also reflects the promise of what lies ahead. This is just the beginning in Montreal, where the Canadiens defeated the Sabres 6-2 in Game 3 on Sunday night.
The foundation was set at the 2022 NHL Draft in this very building, which was packed with many of these same fans, all looking ahead to the future—this future. That night, the Canadiens selected Juraj Slafkovský with the No. 1 pick, and he scored a power-play goal in Sunday’s win. They took Lane Hutson with the No. 62 pick in that draft, and he recorded two assists, earning first-star honors.
But they also acquired Kirby Dach in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks that same night, shortly after picking Slafkovský and a day before selecting Hutson. Among the three, Dach has been the least impactful, repeatedly sidelined by injuries, never fully given a chance to ignite his potential.
A year later, at the 2023 draft in Nashville, the Canadiens made a similar trade to bring in Alex Newhook from the Colorado Avalanche. Both deals were designed to accelerate the rebuild led by Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes. Both were scrutinized because of the cost, and both were seen as potential missteps in an otherwise well-managed rebuild.
Dach and Newhook have frequently battled injuries, limiting their ability to fill expected roles despite their immense talent. Yet, along with goaltender Jakub Dobeš, they may be the biggest reasons the Canadiens hold a 2-1 series lead over the Sabres in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, providing the five-on-five scoring that has eluded the team’s top stars.
Newhook scored his team-leading fourth and fifth goals of the playoffs, while Dach netted the third-period goal that sealed the game for Montreal—his fourth of the postseason.
“It’s great to see,” said captain Nick Suzuki. “Both guys have been through a lot, just grinding to get back in the lineup, grinding to find their way in the league. Both players have been absolutely massive for us in the playoffs, just two young guys figuring it out. It’s super important for our future.”
Dach’s acquisition became a blueprint for the Canadiens, repeated a year later with Newhook. Both trades showed how Montreal could use future assets to strengthen the present. They did the same in acquiring defenseman Noah Dobson ahead of the 2025 draft, and to a lesser extent, defenseman Alexandre Carrier last season and center Phillip Danault this season.
Dach and Newhook’s success is a reward for the faith head coach Martin St. Louis kept in them. St. Louis could have benched Dach after he cost the Canadiens a loss in Game 2 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, an icing penalty in overtime and defensive lapse on the following faceoff allowing Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser to score the winner. But St. Louis stuck with Dach, putting him back at his natural position of center for the next game. Since then, Dach has provided solid depth while centering the third line.