What were the circumstances? A hit-and-miss start from Dach in the middle, an instant win for Sean Monahan in that position, and an unexpected eruption from Dach on the wing.

But then things change in life. Monahan stayed strong down the middle but suffered an injury on Monday in Vancouver. The CH therefore faced the Kraken the next day, with three centers sharing the work of four trios.

Dach, he braked, even if his companions Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield don’t stop. He has been goalless in his last 12 games and has just two assists in his last six games.

The Los Angeles Kings arrive at the Bell Center this Saturday. It’s still unclear if Monahan will make the match, but his absence from Friday’s practice doesn’t bode well. If Martin St-Louis wants a fourth center alongside Suzuki, Christian Dvorak and Jake Evans, he has two options: Dach and Rem Pitlick.

the qualities

Dach himself assures us: he still sees himself as the center, as his natural position. “I’ll always be drawn to that position,” the tall right-hander replied.

Suzuki agrees. “He’s reliable in our area. I know I can trust him if I’m the last to back down and he’s deep in territory. We wanted to get him to play center and it just so happened that he stuck with Cole and I. I’m sure he’ll come back to the center at some point and he’ll be good there. »

Face-offs were among the factors of error. After a downright lousy 2021-2022 season, he’s only gained 37% this season. In fact, his 32.8% win rate last season was the worst in NHL history (at least 500 faceoffs) since this data was collected (1997-1998).

The head coach reminded that a difficult face-off evening can become “difficult” for a player. “There can be a cumulative effect over seven, eight, ten games. But Kirby plays well, showing what an impact he can have. I’m pretty sure he’ll have the same impact whether he’s playing faceoffs or not. »

Whatever happens with Monahan, the benefits of a positive Dach im Zentrum experience would be multiple for CH. Evans leads the fourth row, but with no goals, four assists and a -9 difference in 26 games, he doesn’t necessarily have the case to secure his place in the lineup.

Otherwise, the future of a healthy Monahan will be discussed as the trading deadline approaches. His value within the Habs is inescapable but Kent Hughes will surely receive calls for his player at the end of the contract. His decision will be more informed once he knows a bit more about what Dach as a center can offer.

Suzuki and the complexes

It was fun that center management was a topic of discussion on the eve of the visit with the Kings and Phillip Danault.

“He’s tough. I’ve seen him do very well against other first-line centers. He’s underestimated but our dressing room knows what he’s capable of,” Suzuki recalled.

Neither Dvorak nor Evans managed to replace Danault in the center snuffer role against the best opposing elements. Danault he ended up in top 8 of voting for the Selke Trophy for the fourth consecutive season, 2021-2022.

Except that Suzuki has now become a first-line center and is being mentioned more and more often by opposing coaches when it comes to seeing things against the Habs.

Suzuki will have quite a test this Saturday as he will logically face Danault or Anze Kopitar, two of the NHL’s best defensive centers.

“When you come into the NHL, you’re a little intimidated. I’m not saying Nick was before, but you can be of the guys you looked at, St-Louis recalled. At the end you play and compare. Nick sees himself on the same level as her. If you see yourself on the same level, at least you don’t lose the fight before it starts. »

In summary

Suzuki’s bold prediction

According to data from our dear friends at Hockey-Reference, NHL teams are averaging 3.21 goals per game this season. This is the highest average since the 3.24 goals scored in the 1993-1994 season. That year, nine players had reached the 50-goal plateau. This season, eight of them in the NHL are averaging more than .61 goals per game, a rate that allows them to score 50 goals in 82 games. With almost a third of the season underway, Caufield are close with an average of 0.58 goals per game. In this more attacking NHL, could Caufield become the first Canadian player to approach 50 since Stéphane Richer? “Definitely,” said Suzuki. We’re going to try to get to 50 this year and we’ll see where it goes. »

Guhle’s feints

At the end of practice, the players participated in a shootout competition. Kaiden Guhle decided the debate with a goal for the Reds and sowed euphoria on the ice. He was particularly keen on his aim. “He’s no worse! conceded goaltender Samuel Montembeault, victim of Guhle in the game, he has good puck skills. We see him in our zone, he comes out of difficult situations when there is pressure. Guhle is not used to taking penalties. He was only used twice in the junior ranks. “I scored both times! he rightly remembers. Maybe Martin [St-Louis] will send me there now! But usually my game is over by the time we get to the shootout unless we get to 17 rounds. It’s difficult at this level, the goalkeepers are huge. »

Hoffman and Drouin approach

David Savard and Sean Monahan were absent from the day’s drill and the team say the two cripples are the subject of a “medical investigation”. Savard missed the last two games, Monahan the last. Mike Matheson was entitled to a day of treatment 24 hours after being punched in the face in training. Finally, Mike Hoffman and Jonathan Drouin are visibly approaching a comeback as they attended all practices and wore a jersey of the same color as everyone else, suggesting they have been given the green light to start collecting contacts.

quote of the Day

Martin St-Louis on his interactions with Nick Suzuki: “What’s fun is you can have high-level hockey conversations. We’re not the only ones saying: do this, do that. It’s not a dictatorship, it’s talks. It’s fun to interact with Suzi. It’s also important that the players understand this, because they too can coach their fellow players. Coaching isn’t just the top guy. It has to go down. It needs you players and he is able to do it. »