Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens’ Kirby Dach Faces Tough Reality in Search to Find Form
After a slow start, Kirby Dach is taking accountability for his struggles with the Canadiens, trying to rebuild his game after a knee injury.
Kirby Dach’s return to the ice after a devastating knee injury has been anything but smooth. The Montreal Canadiens forward, who missed almost all of last season after tearing the MCL and ACL in his right knee, has struggled to regain his confidence and rhythm. With just one goal and eight points through the first 20 games, Dach’s performance has drawn criticism, particularly following a costly mistake in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Sportsnet’s Eric Engels dug deep into Dach’s issues and spoke to the forward after his errant backhand pass in the second period led directly to a Golden Knights goal, contributing to a 5-0 deficit. Dach received boos from the fans and his coach Martin St. Louis addressed the mistake, suggesting Dach not hide from eating the criticism. “You can’t hide when things don’t go well,” St. Louis said. “When you start hiding, it’s going to take a long time to get back. You just have to face the music.”
To his credit, the 23-year-old Dach hasn’t shied away from eating a sh– sandwich. “It’s f—— time to dig in and get it done,” Dach said bluntly. “I don’t think there’s a magic potion or something that’s going to flip the switch. It’s going to come from me working on the details and making sure I’m doing everything right.”
Is It Time The Canadiens Give Up Dach as a Reclamation Project?
Dach’s minus-15 rating—the second-worst in the NHL—has further highlighted his tough start, but his situation is somewhat understandable. Recovering from a major injury and adapting to the NHL’s pace after a long absence is not an easy thing to do. Still, the Canadiens can only wait for so long. “There’s no point playing sorry or feeling bad for myself. I’ve got to go out and just be better.”
For Canadiens fans and the organization, continued patience is important. Dach’s ceiling is high and there’s a reason the Habs felt they could get something out of him when they acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks.
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