Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Ends point slump in Monday's win
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Dach provided two assists in a 7-5 triumph over Buffalo on Monday.
Dach had the secondary helper on two second-period goals by Nick Suzuki. Entering Monday's game, the 23-year-old Dach didn't have a point in six consecutive outings. He has one goal and six helpers through 16 appearances this season.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Spends time on top line Saturday
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Dach had two shots, two hits and a minus-2 rating in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh.
Dach opened the contest on the second line but eventually replaced Josh Anderson on the top unit. Dach spent some time on the top line earlier this year, as head coach Martin St. Louis attempts to balance scoring threats in the top six. Dach has a team-worst minus-14 rating through 12 appearances.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Minus-3, off top line
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Dach had one shot on net, two blocks, one hit, two PIM and finished minus-3 in Tuesday's 8-2 loss to the Kraken.
Instead of reintegrating Juraj Slafkovsky, fresh off a three-game absence due to an upper-body injury, to the top line, head coach Martin St. Louis let Dach skate with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. That's the best assignment a Canadien forward can have. However, that alignment didn't last long. By the time the second period started with the Habs down 4-1, the coach reunited Slafkovsky on the top unit, and Dach was moved back to the second line, where he was to begin the season. Dach appeared to lose his coverage assignment on Seattle's first goal 25 seconds into the game and again on the sixth goal midway through the second period. He played one more shift in the second and just four in the third for a total of 3:41 TOI over the final two periods of the game. Dach's minus-12 through 10 appearances is the lowest among all Montreal skaters.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Two-point night in win
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Dach scored a goal on four shots, dished a power-play assist and had three hits in Saturday's 5-2 win over St. Louis.
As several players attempted to get a stick on a rebound, Dach swooped in and buried the puck while falling to the ice for his first goal of the season, which increased Montreal's lead to 2-0. He later was the primary assistant on Alex Newhook's power-play tally six seconds into a St. Louis penalty. Since moving to the top line as a replacement for the injured Juraj Slafkovsky (shoulder), Dach has three points in two games.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Moves to top line
Rotowire
Dach logged a power-play assist, four shots, three blocks and one hit in Tuesday's 7-2 loss to the Rangers.
Dach had a secondary assist on a power-play goal, his second point of the season and first in six games. He moved onto the top line after the Canadiens announced Juraj Slafkovsky (upper body) would be out at least a week. The club hopes Dach's presence on a line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield will trigger his scoring touch.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Earns power-play assist
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Dach registered a power-play assist and three hits in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Maple Leafs.
Dach was limited to two games last season after tearing his right ACL and MCL in his knee. While still just 23, he's been limited to 130 games out of a possible 246 over the last three years, though he has 66 points in that span. As long as he can stay healthy, he has upside as the Canadiens' second-line center, and his potential is further heightened by his spot on the top power-play unit.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Skating with team
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Dach (knee) was on the ice for Monday's informal skate ahead of the start of training camp.
Dach missed nearly the entire 2023-24 campaign due to his knee injury, having logged just two games with the club last year in which he generated two assists, three shots on goal and three hits. Heading into the upcoming campaign, the 23-year-old center should be expected to take the next step in his development and build upon his 2022-23 season after putting up 14 goals and 24 assists during that campaign. Set for a top-six role, Dach should benefit by playing with offseason acquisition Patrik Laine.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Undergoes surgery
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Dach underwent surgery Tuesday to repair torn ligaments in his right knee, Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette reports.
Dach is expected to make a full recovery before the start of next season. The forward suffered the injury during the second game of the 2023-24 season, when Chicago's Jarred Tinordi checked him into the boards.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Moves to IR
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Dach (knee) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per CapFriendly.
Dach will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign after sustaining tears to the ACL and MCL in his right knee. He suffered the injury in Montreal's second game of the season against Chicago on Oct. 14.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Season over
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Dach (knee) suffered a torn right ACL and MCL, which will require season-ending surgery.
Dach had two assists in two games before sustaining the devastating injury. The 22-year-old will miss the remainder of 2023-24, though the timing of the surgery may allow him to be ready for training camp in September. The Canadiens have not announced an official timeline for his return.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Facing long-term absence
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Dach (lower body) is expected to be out of action long term, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports Monday.
Dach is still being evaluated regarding the full extent and severity of his lower-body injury but the current outlook is not good. At this point, fantasy managers should probably be expecting Dach to be placed on injured reserve, if not LTIR, in the coming days. With Dach out of action, Sean Monahan figures to move into the second-line center role while Brendan Gallagher could see an uptick in power-play ice time.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Exits with lower-body injury
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Dach sustained a lower-body injury during Saturday's game against Chicago and won't return to the contest.
Dach might have suffered the injury when he absorbed a big hit from Chicago's Jarred Tinordi late in the first period, which knocked him into the Blackhawks' bench, per Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago. Dach logged 4:40 of ice time before exiting the contest. If he's not available for Tuesday's game against Minnesota, Michael Pezzetta might make his season debut.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Helps twice in loss
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Dach had two assists, three shots on goal and three hits over 21:22 of ice time in Wednesday's 6-5 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs.
The Canadiens' second line produced two goals and five points on the night. Alex Newhook struck twice, and Dach was the secondary helper on both. Dach also skated on the first-unit power play, getting 3:59 of ice time with Montreal up a skater. The 2019 third-overall draft pick by Chicago resurrected his career after joining Montreal last season, when he registered 38 points in 58 games. Dach will be allotted top-six minutes and begins the season on a line with two other first-round picks, Newhook (16th overall, 2019) and Juraj Slafkovsky (first overall, 2022).
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Set for camp
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Dach (upper body) will be ready to take part in training camp, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.
Dach, who sat out the final eight games of the 2022-23 campaign, notched 14 goals and 38 points in 58 appearances last season. He will compete for a top-six role and a spot on Montreal's first power-play unit during camp.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Will miss at least a week
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Dach (upper body) will be sidelined for at least one week.
The Canadiens' final game of the campaign is in two weeks, so Dach could end up missing the rest of the season with his upper-body injury. If that ends up coming to fruition, the 22-year-old forward would finish the year having collected 14 goals and 38 points through 58 appearances.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Not playing Tuesday
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Dach (upper body) won't play Tuesday against Philadelphia.
Dach earned two goals and one assist in four outings after returning from a 16-game absence. He had been out with a lower-body injury. He has registered 38 points, 107 shots on goal and 53 hits in 58 contests this campaign. Dach will be replaced in the lineup by Chris Tierney, who was originally going to be a healthy scratch because of the NHL debut of Sean Farrell.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Logs two points in loss
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Dach logged two power-play points -- a goal and an assist -- and had three shots on net over 24:00 of ice time in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Boston.
Positioned at the side of the net, Dach finished off a perfect feed from Mike Matheson for his 14th goal of the season -- fifth on the power play -- and his second tally in as many games. He's produced three points overall in the two games since returning from a 16-game absence due to a lower-body injury. With Josh Anderson (ankle) done for the season, players like Dach will be looked on to take up some offensive slack. He's reborn with the Canadiens after the first-round pick stumbled in Chicago; Dach has a career-high 36 points (14 on the power play) over 55 games for Montreal.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Scores upon return
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Dach scored a goal on two shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Lightning. He added one hit and one blocked shot over 20:44 of ice time.
Dach returned to the ice after missing 16 games with a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old made an impact early, scoring his 13th goal midway through the first period. He was back on the top line, which has changed frequently of late, along with Nick Suzuki and Rafael Harvey-Pinard.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Playing against Lightning
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Dach (lower body) will be back in the lineup versus Tampa Bay on Tuesday, Luc Gelinas of RDS.com reports.
Dach returns following a 16-game stint on the sidelines due to his lower-body problem. Prior to his absence, the natural center was rolling with six goals and five assists over his previous 13 contests, including four power-play points. With his return to the lineup, Dach is set to retake a first-line role and should be in the mix for a power-play spot as well.
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Canadiens' Kirby Dach: Still no timeline to return
Rotowire
Dach (lower body) remains out indefinitely.
Dach has been out since Feb. 16, and it's unclear at this point if he'll be back before the end of the regular season. Until he returns to the ice, it's safe to assume Dach will remain out.
