The numbers don’t lie where Kirby Dach is concerned — and unfortunately they paint a bleak picture.
Dach, 23, has struggled to rediscover his game since missing virtually all of last season with a torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee, sustained in the second game of the season, against Chicago.
The 6-foot-4, 221-pound forward has been held to two assists through seven games and is a team-worst minus-10. He hasn’t scored a goal since March 23, 2023.
Dach has been playing centre on the Canadiens’ second line, between Alex Newhook and Joel Armia, but was elevated to play the wing with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield with Juraj Slafkovsky out at least a week with a shoulder injury. Dach had an assist and produced four shots during Tuesday’s 7-2 pasting administered by the New York Rangers while playing 18:32.
Dach appeared to be frustrated when he broke his stick following a power-play shift, but claimed he didn’t like it and required a replacement. If he’s gripping that stick slightly tighter due to his offensive struggles, Dach won’t admit as much. Some have speculated his pace appears slower this season combined with a lack of awareness.
“There’s no pressure,” he said following practice Wednesday. “It’s just about doing the right things over and over. Eventually (scoring) is going to happen. I don’t think you can go out there and will it to happen in one shift. When you start doing that and forcing the issue, that’s when mistakes happen. You have to focus on what’s best for the team and do what’s right.”
Dach has played with Suzuki and Caufield in the past with some success. While Suzuki scored both Montreal goals on Tuesday, defensive shortcomings led to the team’s undoing. It’s unlikely head coach Martin St. Louis will break the triumvirate up through weekend games against St. Louis Saturday at the Bell Centre and Sunday in Philadelphia.
While missing last season has obviously had its toll on Dach, his struggles have become magnified on a team that lacks offensive firepower when Caufield and Suzuki are removed from the equation. The Canadiens have been held to 18 goals through seven games, with six coming from Caufield.
Montreal’s record is 2-4-1. The team was 4-2-1 through the same juncture last season, and while it remains a small sample size, it’s hard to believe the Canadiens will be in the playoff mix this season unless their fortunes dramatically change.
“It’s just the timing and space,” Dach explained of his layoff. “I feel like more and more I’ve gotten there. I’m starting to feel the puck a little bit better. It was always going to take some time. I can’t force the issue.”
Early at training camp, St. Louis said he anticipated there might be stretches in which Dach struggled, especially early.
“When you’ve lost time it’s hard to come back,” he said. “Players have high expectations of themselves. I’ve got to … remind them to relax. Be patient.”
Dach said he’s not entirely surprised the Canadiens are going through a rough stretch, noting there always will be ebbs and flows during a long season.
“What we’re trying to accomplish here as a team, it was never going to be a linear line, straight to success,” he explained. “You’re going to have your ups and downs. We have to go through that as a team together, learn from our mistakes and push forward. We have lessons to learn from each of the past games.
“The great thing about the NHL is that you have 82 games to try and get to the playoffs. We’re definitely trying to slowly build towards that.”
The Canadiens had a CBA-mandated day off Thursday and will return to practice Friday morning. With defenceman Justin Barron likely sidelined with an upper-body injury, Arber Xhekaj could return against the Blues after being a healthy scratch the last two games. Xhekaj has yet to record a point through five games and is a minus-4. He was signed to a two-year, US$2.6-million contract on July 30.
“I’ve been having some leaks defensively,” he admitted on Wednesday. “I think they’re causing goals against. I have to tighten that up and I’ll be fine. I think (management) wants me in for sure. They want me to get better. I wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case. I think that’s positive.”
Xhekaj, an undrafted free agent, has played 100 career games and went directly to the Canadiens from junior hockey. But he also had a 17-game stint with AHL Laval last season and remains rough around the edges.