Just as the Canadiens need his line most, Kirby Dach vanishes on and off the ice

The screen grab making rounds shows Dach's Instagram page as unavailable. That does not prove every detail, but it fits the timing after a loud wave of backlash.

This story is bigger than apps and comments. It is about whether Montreal can trust its middle six in a series that just swung back to even.

The Canadiens stole Game 1 in overtime behind Juraj Slafkovsky's hat trick. They then dropped Game 2, 3-2 in overtime, and the series is tied 1-1 heading to Bell Centre.

Dach finished the regular season with 8-7-15 in 37 games. Through two playoff games, he has no points and is averaging 10:56.

That reaction says plenty about the mood around him. Fans are not just mad at the mistakes, they are mad because the role still looks unresolved.

The Bell Centre will be loud, and the patience will be thin.

The top end has done its job. Slafkovsky has 3-0-3 in the series, Nick Suzuki has 0-3-3, Cole Caufield has 0-3-3, and Josh Anderson has scored twice.

That is why Dach sits in the crosshairs. When your stars drive play and your depth line gives you nothing, coaches start cutting ice and simplifying assignments.

Martin St. Louis does not need Dach to carry a line. He needs straight-line puck support, cleaner exits, and one hard play around the crease to stop every shift from dying early.

Montreal can still win this series, but the pressure point is obvious now. Dach does not need a social reply, he needs a playoff touch in Game 3.