CHICAGO | We have rarely seen Kirby Dach so smiling since he wore the Canadian colors. In addition to going through his best moments in more than a year and a half, he will have a front row seat to see his brother Colton’s debut in a Chicago Blackhawks uniform.
• Also read: 5 reasons to be optimistic for the CH in 2025 (and 5 reasons not to be)
“I’m so excited,” said the Canadian forward after training at the United Center. We never had the opportunity to play against each other or with each other in a real match.
A second-round pick of the ‘Hawks’ in 2021, Colton is two years Kirby’s junior. The two brothers were planning their Thursday night dinner when Colton received the call from Blackhawks management.
Getty Images via AFP
“We immediately got to work to find a way to bring our father here,” said Dach, adding that his sister and mother are currently in Europe for a hockey tournament.
At 6-foot-4 each, Kirby and Colton certainly moved some air in the family home during their teenage years.
“Due to [notre gabarit]we weren’t allowed to play hockey in the basement, Dach said. We had a net outside and we went to the local rink, which was a short walk away. We came back all snowed in because we pushed ourselves into snow banks.”
We can’t wait to see who has the upper hand Friday night in Chicago. But the way Kirby’s been acting lately, you could bet a couple bucks on him.
“Scoring goals always helps you get your game back. But we saw bits of the Kirby of past years, even if he was having trouble,” said Trevor Letowski, Martin St-Louis’ assistant. We now feel more confident. He rushes towards the puck more, he directs more attacks.
A turning point?
As for the Alberta striker, the three victories acquired against so many powers of the Bettman circuit could be a turning point in the Canadian’s season.
-“We proved that we were capable of playing with everyone,” said Samuel Montembeault, who will get the start against the Blackhawks.
The Canadian is still looking for a first series of four victories since February 2022. However, he has just won six of his last seven matches.
“We felt good going into the Christmas break, despite a tougher game against Columbus. The fact that we collected six points by winning three matches in regular time against these teams will certainly give us a dose of energy,” said Letowski.
This dose of energy is attributable to the contribution of the four trios. With Dach back in the saddle, St-Louis can now hope for goals from each of its units. A major asset in matches where punishments are rare as was the case at Sunrise, Tampa and Las Vegas.
“Right now, our strength is our depth,” Letowski said. Our four trios are dangerous. We can trust everyone.”
Attention aux Blackhawks
Now let’s hope that the Habs don’t lose this momentum by making the mistake of arriving flat at the United Center. For the Blackhawks, it’s another difficult season.
With only 26 points, they occupy 32e and last place in the NHL. An outfit which, although this team is also in reconstruction, earned Luke Richardson the exit door at the beginning of December.
Moreover, the Illinois team has lowered its flag in each of its last five outings.
“The Blackhawks are banking on excellent players. Connor Bedard, Teuvo Teravainen, these are guys who are capable of scoring goals, Montembeault was careful to warn. It’s also a young team. There are still two games left before the end of the trip. These are two important matches.
The Habs put themselves back in the mix by moving to within three points of the last place giving access to the playoffs in the Eastern Association. It would be a shame if he started the year 2025 by getting carried away.
