Canadiens' Dach Injured by Ducks' Viel High Hit

Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach suffered an upper-body injury and left Sunday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks after absorbing a high hit from Ducks winger Jeffrey Viel early in the first period.

The incident occurred three minutes into the opening frame at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Dach, attempting to swat at a loose puck in Anaheim's end with his arm, missed the play and was caught off guard by Viel's shoulder to the head area. Dach immediately collapsed to the ice, burying his face in his gloves, before slowly skating to the bench and then heading to the dressing room for further evaluation. He did not return to the contest.

Officials reviewed the hit but assessed no penalty to Viel, allowing the Ducks forward to continue playing without interruption. Later in the period, Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and forward Josh Anderson confronted Viel on the ice, appearing to invite him to drop the gloves in response to the unpenalized contact. Viel, however, skated away and declined the challenge, avoiding any further escalation.

Dach, a 25-year-old center from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, has been a key part of Montreal's lineup in his fourth NHL season with the...