Canadiens' Gallagher, Dach to return vs. Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens were a little healthier when they took on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

Canadiens forwards Brendan Gallagher and Kirby Dach each returned from lengthy injury absences for a clash between the Atlantic Division rivals.

Gallagher last suited up on Jan. 3, sitting out the past 32 contests with a lower-body injury. The Canadiens went 12-17-3 without him in the lineup.

It's been a tough campaign for Gallagher, who also missed most of December with the same ailment. The 30-year-old has been limited to 25 games this season, recording four goals and five assists.

Dach last played on Feb. 14. The Canadiens initially held him out of their 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 16 because of an illness, but further testing revealed his symptoms were related to a lower-body injury.

The 22-year-old has thrived during his first season with Montreal, logging a career-high 12 goals and 35 points in 54 matchups. The Canadiens acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in July for first- and third-round picks in 2022.

Injuries have derailed Montreal's 2022-23 season: Christian Dvorak, Cole Caufield, and Arber Xhekaj all saw their campaigns end early; 2022 first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky hasn't played since January; and pending unrestricted free agent Sean Monahan has been out since early December.

The Canadiens sit last in the Atlantic Division with a 27-37-6 record.

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