Is the Old Version Of Kirby Dach Back?

Dach has been flying out there since coming back from a minor lower-body injury against the Edmonton Oilers a few weeks ago. He had a few nights where he wasn’t able to score any points after his return, but he was showing signs that he was slowly getting back to the player he was before all the injuries during his first season in Montreal. Then, once Brendan Gallagher was placed on his line, it allowed him to start producing. It seems like having a player like Gallagher has allowed him to find a new gear, as the Habs veteran seems to be able to drag anyone into the fight. 

Dach has scored 3 goals in the last 2 games, which includes a fluky one that went off his back and into the net on Thursday, but he’s getting himself in the right areas and doing the little things correctly. This was the 3rd time that Dach has scored in back-to-back games. If he can continue to do these things well, he may start his path to officially becoming the player that the Habs were expecting when they acquired him to be their 2nd line centre during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. 

Dach is playing with a lot of confidence and is no longer playing not to get hurt. In reality, Dach’s biggest issue last year after coming back from his MCL/ACL surgery in his knee could have been that he needed time to find his skating stride, but he was possibly also playing scared to get hurt again as he dealt with some discomfort, which unfortunately led to him needing a 2nd surgery last season. Now, that no longer seems like an issue as he has been a good play driver for the first time in years.  

The only issue that remains with Dach is his inability to consistently win faceoffs, as he is still the worst faceoff man of all the Habs centres; however, he has made up for it by being physical and hard on the puck.

If this play continues from Dach and the line of Ivan Demidov-Oliver Kapanen-Alex Newhook starts to dry up, Demidov and Dach may get reunited for the first time since they played on a line with Patrik Laine in the preseason. It sadly didn’t click, but this was a time when Dach was still trying to get his feet under him, and it was evident that Laine was not a good fit at even strength with them. With that being said, a confident Dach and Demidov duo alongside a shooter like Zack Bolduc could make for a strong 2nd scoring line.

However, right now, a hard-working grinder-type forward like Gallagher could continue to be exactly what Dach needs on his line to continue his strong play until his confidence is at its highest. Once he is at that point, it may be the perfect time to create a strong 2nd line that has both Demidov and Dach.

How have you liked Dach’s play over the last few games?