Kirby Dach’s Strange Evening May Be a Prelude to His Awakening

Some nights it’s like Kirby Dach is in an old Roadrunner and Coyote cartoon, with a cloud overhead that rains only for him and moves everywhere he goes.

Although we may say that it often takes more time than the Canadiens’ season for a player returning from knee surgery and a year without playing to find his game again, it is necessary recognize that Dach didn’t always help himself.

The number of games where, without contributing to the attack, he torpedoed his team with a costly turnover or a poorly timed penalty…

Dach did both Monday night in the Canadian’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Ducks d’Anaheim.

However, the cloud was not there at the start of the match. And when it appeared, Dach managed to get rid of it. There was some good, there was some less good, but the big center player seemed to take an important step to get out during this meeting. Not only because he scored his first goal in 20 matches, taking advantage in the second period of a cage left deserted by Lukas Dostal, but because he did not let himself be swallowed up by actions which, too often, led into a negative spiral over the course of a match.

His first appearances in this match stood out from what we had seen from him recently. His feet were much more active, he wanted to carry the puck, and he had regained the vision of the game which has already allowed him to be very creative.

The CH had a horrible start to the match until Dach took care of bringing the disc to the zone of Ducks and to force a punishment on the visitors.

It was a good omen.

Then this blunder happened.

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The first goal of Ducks deflated the crowd favorites, who then went more than 15 minutes without scoring a single shot on goal.

We were watching the team, of course, but would Dach himself find a way to bounce back?

I didn’t like the first period of a lot of guys, but I thought there was something in Dach during that first period, said Martin St-Louis. And he still ended up with a negative differential, so we felt a little bad for him.

Sometimes in life, when you do the right thing, you are rewarded. I think he had a favorable bounce on his goal, and sometimes that’s all you need.

As luck would have it, Dostal committed a turnover on which Juraj Slafkovsky pounced, who immediately passed the puck to Dach.

The reaction of Slavs and that of his teammates on the bench spoke volumes about the concern they display for the well-being of their teammate. And that didn’t escape Dach’s attention.

We feel the sense of family, the love and trust we have between teammates, and what this locker room represents, said Dach. The guys are happy with each other’s success, and it’s really good to feel like the guys helped me get through this stretch.

This confidence that we looked for so much in him showed through at times afterwards, like on this brilliant pass to Patrik Laine along the offensive blue line with only ten seconds remaining in the second period. This pass, to which Dach gave enough conviction that it could not be intercepted, gave the Habs the chance to attempt one last attack before the siren.

There have certainly been times this season where his gaffes must have angered teammates, but that remains momentary. In the grand scheme of things, they all understand that the Canadian needs Dach to find his way. In the short and medium term, there is no other solution for the second center position.

This rescue operation must succeed.

Having empathy and compassion are qualities you need when you’re building something. The guys all know what he’s been through and what he’s going through right now. We hope that it’s a goal that will help him feel better and that will put the wind in his sails.

It takes a village

It always starts with the player, Martin St-Louis likes to repeat. But sometimes it takes a village to help a player through.

There is the support of teammates, that of the coach and managers – who have remained in close contact with Dach – and there is also this whole support system put in place to help players like him get through it. .

I take my hat off to the organization because we have all the resources for our players, whether in mental health, in terms of the extra time that players can spend on the ice with Adam Nicholas and Scott Pellerin, or even in the gymindicated St-Louis.

And what I notice a lot with Kirby is that he works on several aspects that help him find his identity.

We can sometimes have the impression from the outside that a lethargic player is just watching himself sink and that he is not doing enough. Players fully committed to success will turn to all these resources to try to see things more clearly.

It’s the National League, and no one wants to wade through that sewage for too long.

What’s special is that the other winger in Dach’s trio is currently finding ways to play the hero. Patrik Laine creates a big gap between what his trio accomplishes with equal numbers and what he himself manages to do with numerical superiority.

The big Finn scored a third goal in four games in five-man attack on Monday, in addition to helping nail the coffin for the Ducks in shootouts. Laine has always had the potential to change the course of a game, and that’s exactly what he’s been doing since joining the Canadiens.

At the same time, he recently admitted that the three members of his trio were each seeking in their own way to find their grade A game. He spoke about the need for the trio to attack more directly instead of getting stuck in the thick of things.

Dach did just that in the third period when another dangerous turnover put his team on its heels and led to a foul. Dach clearly didn’t agree with the referee’s decision, but it was exactly the kind of play that makes the rain cloud appear again above his head.

We’re not there yet, but there may finally be a chance for clarity with him.

Let’s be clear: Monday is not the match where Dach found all the answers. He scored a goal, he got rid of the proverbial piano on his shoulders, but the proof remains to be made that this will lead him towards happier days.

Dach needs to hang in there and keep working. He has no choice.

And the CH must be faithful to him and help him until the end of the season to show that he is one of the first centers that the team needs.

The Habs have no choice either.