MONTREAL — Montreal forward Kirby Dach left the Canadiens’ game Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks because of an upper-body injury after a high hit from winger Jeffrey Viel.
Viel caught the unsuspecting Dach in Anaheim’s end three minutes into the first period after the Montreal forward swatted at the puck with his arm but missed.
Dach fell to the ice with his face in his gloves before gingerly making his way to the bench, and eventually to the dressing room. Viel was not penalized.
Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and forward Josh Anderson approached Viel later in the period, but Viel declined apparent requests to fight.
The hit came three days after Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas ended Toronto captain Auston Matthews‘ season with a knee-on-knee hit. Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected, then suspended five games for kneeing == the maximum the Department of Safety could levy because the hearing was by phone.
