Kirby Dach another victim of a bad hit

The Montreal Canadiens are ready to turn the page on the preseason and get the ball rolling with their regular season schedule.

In regular times the players want to compete in games that are worth points, and with the way this preseason has gone, that rings especially true. Patrik Laine's knee injury was one big hit to the Canadiens, which happened after David Reinbacher received an awkward hit that messed with his knee. So, when Kirby Dach was hit late by Ridly Greig on a blindside play, the Habs were less than impressed.

Not that it makes any difference but Greig owned up to the hit and understood completely why the Canadiens were pissed off with him, to put it in his own words. Greig is known for being a thorn in the opposition's side, so it's unsurprising what he did. Jayden Struble hammered him with a hit as retribution, and that was only the start of what Greig would deal with.

If you poke the Dacher, he won't continue being nice at some point. He isn't known for being overly physical or dropping the gloves, but the fact that he has shown he has it in him is a positive for the team. Nobody wants skilled players fighting, but something has to give at some point.

Dach's attitude is a positive sign

Many have called out the Habs stating that they need to add more toughness and sandpaper to the lineup. While Dach isn't categorized as a sandpaper-type player, the fact that he is unafraid to bite back is exactly what any coach would want from their players. This is especially true for a coach who is trying to build a winning culture for the long haul.

Martin St. Louis certainly doesn't want guys fighting all the time or hits for retribution that could handicap the team. But he wants a team that isn't going to back down or be intimidated by their opponents. So, like anything in life, it's a delicate balance - they need to maintain a fine line of playing hard but also smart.

Arber Xhekaj's hit on Tim Stuetzle is one that looked pretty bad, and despite the intent, I suspect that St. Louis didn't love it. But Dach standing up for himself proved that he can protect himself and, perhaps Xhekaj's bulldog mentality is rubbing off. With the guys standing up for one another, Xhekaj can shift his focus to playing and growing his game, instead of sitting in the penalty box or getting thrown out of the game.