Montreal Canadiens fans were heartbroken when forward Kirby Dach tore his MCL and ACL in just the second game of the 2023-24 campaign, sidelining him for the rest of the year.
Fortunately, the 23-year-old made a full recovery and returned to the lineup this season.
However, it seems that he’s still working to regain his confidence and offensive spark.
One stat is especially indicative of the centre’s slow start. As of now, Dach has the worst plus-minus differential in the entire NHL with a -14 rating throughout 12 games.
Fellow Canadiens forward Alex Newhook is not far behind with a -10 rating.
NHL
Numbers don’t tell the whole story, but Dach, with one goal and five points this season, is the first to acknowledge that he and the team are not in an ideal spot.
“It’s tough to hold your head high after games like this, especially with the kind of stretch we’ve been on,” said the Fort Saskatchewan native after going pointless in Saturday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. “It’s frustrating, but hopefully, if we keep doing the right things day in and day out, things will start going our way.”
Despite his struggles, Dach remains on Montreal’s top line alongside captain Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, both of whom have had strong starts to the season.
As the season rolls on, fans are hoping the 6-foot-4 centre can turn things around sooner rather than later.
He’ll get another chance tonight when the Canadiens, who are riding a 4-7-1 record, take on the Calgary Flames at the Bell Centre.
Puck drop is set for 7 pm ET.