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No surprise: Kirby Dach has a slow start to the season

 Auteur: Christopher Brown
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No surprise: Kirby Dach has a slow start to the season
Credit: Getty Images

At the start of the season, I wrote about how the Canadiens’ start to the season could be difficult. And while the Habs are exciting, you can’t say I’m completely in the zone.

After all, against Pittsburgh and Boston, the Habs looked bad, and the first period of the Ottawa game was disjointed. Against Toronto? The club won because Samuel Montembeault made 48 saves. That’s 48 shots on goal.

Let’s face it, there are positives too, but if you look at the Flanelle, it’s not easy.

One of the reasons I said it wouldn’t be easy was that Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine (I wrote this before Laine’s injury, of course) were coming back from a long absence.

Having Dach and Laine on a second line meant accepting that the top-6 wouldn’t be perfect at the start of the season.

Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine, the two big “additions” to the forward line (…), will need time to readjust.

Both guys are coming back from injury and it would be unfair to ask them to produce from the start of the season. – Charles-Alexis Brisebois

And clearly, that’s what we’re experiencing with Kirby Dach, who has already doubled his number of games played compared to last season: he’s struggling a bit.

It’s normal: he’s coming back from injury. And Martin St-Louis knows it.

As reported by TVA Sports’ Nicolas Cloutier, the coach knows that the forward needs to get back into game shape. He also knows that recreating the regular-season environment can’t be done without playing real games.

But right now, we’re not seeing that. And like I said, that’s normal.

But I can see him being very committed physically. It’ll come with Dacher, I’m not worried. – Martin St-Louis on Kirby Dach’s game

Could this mean a change of line for Dach, who plays with Alex Newhook and Joel Armia? Perhaps, yes. Martin St-Louis hasn’t closed the door on changing the formula.

He’ll evaluate it,” he says.

I’ve said before that I wouldn’t mind seeing Cole Caufield or Juraj Slafkovsky play Kirby Dach. But I don’t know if Martin St-Louis wants to destroy his first line.

Could a bottom-6 player ride with Dach? That’s probably on the table too. Could sending the big forward to the wing help him get back into the swing of things?

I don’t get the feeling that changes are imminent. However, at some point, if the pilot feels that playing with someone else can help #77, it’s going to be an option on the table.

To be continued.


Overtime

– Speaking of the Canadiens’ start to the season.

– Change of GM in Buffalo?

– Big transaction.

– Clearly.

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