As the Montreal Canadiens continue to search for answers to their power-play struggles, Martin St. Louis is once again making changes. Their power play was a strength last season, as Montreal finished 10th in the NHL with a 23.1% success rate. Through 12 games this season, they rank 29th in the league, converting on just 11.4% of their opportunities.
Injuries have played a role. Ivan Demidov has been out of the lineup since the second game of the season. They are also now without captain Nick Suzuki, who went down with an upper-body injury against the San Jose Sharks. Despite failing to score on the man advantage against the St. Louis Blues, the Canadiens did generate chances. However, that was not enough to convince St. Louis to stick with his current units.
Dach moves to PP1
The Canadiens have experimented with different power-play combinations throughout the season, including a two-defenceman setup featuring Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson. More recently, Oliver Kapanen replaced the injured Nick Suzuki on the team's top unit. That has not worked, with Kapanen still pointless since returning from his injury against the Buffalo Sabres. With Demidov and Suzuki still sidelined, St. Louis and his coaching staff continue to experiment, with Kirby Dach emerging as their latest solution.
This was supposed to be Kirby Dach’s prove-it year. He signed a one-year extension this offseason and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end. He had a good performance in the Canadiens’ opening-night win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but has since been relegated to the team's fourth line. He has a chance to help the Canadiens' struggling power play as he will centre the team’s top unit. Dach will be joined by Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, and Hutson, who are mainstays on Montreal’s top unit. Zachary Bolduc will man the final spot, and deservedly so, with five goals so far this season. Dach has just three points this season, but this could be his opportunity to show that he deserves a bigger role if he can help the Canadiens start converting their chances on the power play.
Dach running out of chances to impress
Dach has been given opportunities to show he deserves a bigger role on the Canadiens. When Demidov went down with his injury, it was Dach who was first tasked with trying to replace him on the team’s second line. Dach failed to capitalize on that promotion and was quickly replaced by Josh Anderson, who scored four goals in the Canadiens' first seven games. Since then, Dach has been a mainstay on the Canadiens' fourth line, averaging just 10:32 of ice time per game, the lowest among players who have appeared in all 12 games this season. His move to the top power-play unit feels like his final chance to show the Canadiens' coaching staff he can be a contributor on this team.
Dach has played well as of late. After recording just one point through the Canadiens' first nine games, he has two in his last three. His move to the top power-play unit is coming at the perfect time, and it could be his chance to keep that momentum going. Demidov and Suzuki will eventually return to the lineup, and Dach may not get a better chance to show that he can be a bigger part of the team’s offence. If he truly wants to remain in the Canadiens' long-term plans, he has to make the most of this opportunity.
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