Kirby Dach is not a shadow of himself this season and the signs of frustration are piling up.
In training on Wednesday, the center player did not seem to be in his right mood. Visibly dissatisfied with his game, he hit the air with his stick before letting out a swear word to the bench.
After 19 games, Dach only has eight points, including one goal, and a differential of -13. Yet the effort is there, recalls the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Martin St-Louis.
“He has a very good attitude. It sure can be discouraging sometimes, he mentioned. Your mind must be stronger than your emotions. That’s what we’re talking about. [Il est émotif]then his spirit must be strong.”
St. Louis recognized the obvious: Dach is not the same player these days.
“His puck touches aren’t as good as before,” he observed. It’s a question of trust, a bit. Sometimes a player needs the puck to jump for him. The work ethic is there. He’ll be the first to tell you his touches aren’t as good.
“When you play without confidence, it’s like you can no longer see clearly on the ice. I saw “Dacher” play when he saw everything and it’s fantastic. But it won’t come back overnight.”
Watch Martin St-Louis’ press briefing in the video above.
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