The Montreal Canadiens offense has been pretty anemic over the last stretch of games.
To put the weight of it on one thing or another would take away from the problem. Unfortunately there are multiple factors for the stunned offense from the Habs. An over-passive power play and poor shot selection have limited the power play. While a lack of shooting at five on five has limited the goal production.
But a problem that has fans scratching their heads, has been the play of Kirby Dach. It’s easy to forget that Dach was out long-term and expect him to be more impactful. While I agree he needs to contribute more, I’m not completely surprised that he is still shaking off the rust. But I do agree with Marc Dumont; Dach needs to make quicker decisions with the puck.
I know I preached patience with Dach, so this may come off as fairly hypocritical, but he needs to hesitate a little less when it comes to passes and shots in the offensive zone.
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 17, 2024
That half second is killing his scoring chances.
In the National Hockey League, a half-second is enough time for a goalie to move laterally and set up to stop a shot. So each time that Dach double clutches, he is giving the opposing netminder time to recover and get into position. There is an array of things that aren't going so great for Dach, and it seems that decision-making is at the top of the list.
I think the big factor is his confidence, he just needs something to go right and it should spark the former third overall selection in 2019. In the past, Dach has worked with a shooting coach, and I think that revisiting him would be a smart decision. When Dach does shoot, it's nowhere near where he needs to put it; this has many feeling frustrated with his play.
Stick with the expirement on the wing
Sadly I think that both Alex Newhook and Dach are best suited to playing on the wing, which leaves the Canadiens needing a second-line centre. Fortunately, Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage, while still not here, are natural centres. As for the third line, Jake Evans can easily move down one slot and be a perfect fit.
I think that Dach having less responsibility will prove beneficial, because he can use his creativity and have earlier starts. Without having to come back to his goal line to help out his defenseman, Dach can coast between the blueline and faceoff dot during breakouts. He still has a responsibility to defend against his assignment, but he can rush out of the zone and just have one defender to beat.
For my money, Dach will have a better career and higher impact on the wing than at centre. He is still young, which is easy to forget, but he was selected in the same draft as Cole Caufield and Newhook. The centre expirement may still be tried again, but I think his success will come on the wing.