Dach’s Redemption Arc Remains Incomplete Despite Game 3 Heroics for Canadiens – The Hockey Writers –

It had eyes. That’s the way the CBC broadcast described Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach’s game-tying goal in Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which made an eventual 3-2 overtime victory on Friday at the Bell Centre possible.

After all, on the goal in question, Dach’s fairly harmless looking shot from the outside edge of the faceoff circle deflected in off defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who represented just one of several bodies in front of goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Maybe someone was looking out.

Dach Gets Back in Canadiens Fans’ Good Graces

It had been just three nights earlier that Dach had, in the minds of many, cost the Canadiens Game 2 and a chance at a commanding 2-0 series lead heading to the Bell Centre. Him icing the puck and then losing his coverage of defenseman J.J. Moser following the ensuing faceoff had been the catalyst for the latter’s game-winning goal.

It’s possible the unusual third day off between games was just what the doctor had ordered for him to forget and move on, as Dach took home second-star-of-the-game honours on the strength of his goal and a secondary assist on Alexandre Texier’s score-opening tally. Those honours may have been an overcorrection on the part of his critics, though.

That isn’t to suggest Dach’s contributions weren’t important. Without him, the Canadiens obviously fail to pull this one out, but the same is true of Texier, who arguably did more to secure the victory, as he’s the one who got the puck to defenseman Lane Hutson, who proceeded to score the game-winning goal in overtime to put the Habs up in the series.

Dach was undeniably good in the game, but the saying goes you need to be good to be lucky and lucky to be good. Had Dach been great, he probably would have buried his chance from in close off a Texier feed from behind the net literally seconds earlier. Instead, Vasilevskiy, who was otherwise stellar in Game 3, stonewalled him for one of his 26 saves on the night. Dach had to resort to some kind of black magic instead, not to take anything away from the guy, at least on the play in question.

Dach vs. Texier

The unfortunate fact is, Texier deserved more accolades for his performance, especially in the wake of recent widespread suggestions re-signing the Frenchman to a modest two-year, $5 million deal was a mistake. And, if re-signing Texier was indeed a mistake (it wasn’t), the Canadiens need to at least err on the side of caution when it comes time to re-signing the 25-year-old Dach, who is slated to become a restricted free agent this summer.

Some may be surprised that Dach’s first contract with the Canadiens, which he signed soon after having been acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, is already coming to an end. In their defense though, due to a slew of injuries, Dach has only played 154 out of a possible 328 games over his four seasons with the Canadiens. And, with significant exception to his debut 2022-23 season with the team, during which he scored an impressive 38 points in 58 games, largely complementing Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the top line, he really hasn’t had a lasting impact. Since that season, when he seemed to reinforce the belief he could develop into the team’s second-line centre, he simply hasn’t.

Dach may have centred his line with Texier and Zachary Bolduc in Game 3, but, once again, of all his line combinations this past season, he played the most on Suzuki’s wing, opposite Caufield. Based on Juraj Slafkovsky’s career-high 30 goals and 73 points, which largely came with him playing in that spot instead, Dach simply failed to recapture lightning in a bottle there, no pun intended. And on a team that has no shortage of middle-six wingers, who are probably much more affordable than Dach will be over his next contract (Texier being one), general manager Kent Hughes should at least consider that next contract coming with another organization.

Hughes Faces Tough Decision over Dach

For context, Hughes is the same GM who has given players like Caufield, Hutson and Slafkovsky rich extensions coming out of their entry-level ones. He’s the same one who gave Texier his modest raise (from the $2.10 million per season he had been earning with the St. Louis Blues before his contract got terminated). He’s also the guy who gave Dach his $3,362,500 cap hit, also acquiring and then signing Alex Newhook under eerily similar conditions one year later.

So, Hughes has demonstrated a good sense of when to throw money at a valuable asset and when that asset, in this case a 6-foot-4, 221-pound former third-overall pick, needs to show significantly more. It would have been easy to lock Dach up with a long-term deal upon first acquiring him. It didn’t make sense to, based on what Dach had showed up to that point in his career. It still doesn’t, making a new pact between the two sides hard to even consider, at least from the Canadiens’ perspective. Unless it’s an inexpensive, short-term deal, over the course of which Dach will be expected to show greater durability and game-to-game consistency, the Habs need to treat his Game 3 performance for what it by all objective eyes was: just good, not great. And until he strings together additional impressive performances? Lucky too.

Dach certainly made a difference for the better in Game 3, possibly negating his supposed transgressions from late in Game 2. However, this has got to be just the beginning of an incredible playoff run for him personally for the Canadiens to be able to justify keeping him as part of this young core, which begs the question: Is he even still a part of the core? When he’s on a line with Bolduc and Texier, the latter of whom many continue to irrationally write off? What Dach is, is still a valuable piece on paper, but he needs to show more on the ice.

If Dach does, then let’s talk… is what the Canadiens should be thinking ahead of negotiations. If not, and Game 3 remains another one-off for the oft-injured forward, none may even be needed.