Kirby Dach and Martin St-Louis suddenly have a real lineup problem hanging over Game 4 against Rod Brind'Amour's Hurricanes.
That is bad timing for Montreal.
The Canadiens are already down 2-1 in the series, and now both Dach and Alex Newhook missed the morning skate before a must-have game at the Bell Centre.
That instantly changes the mood around the day.
Because this is not some routine maintenance update buried in the middle of a long road trip. This is the morning of Game 4, with Montreal already chasing the series and trying to stop Carolina from grabbing total control.
Dach is the bigger worry here.
The report says Newhook's absence is a little less alarming, but Dach has already looked limited and no longer resembles the player he was earlier in the playoffs.
That matters because everybody knows the history.
Dach's injury track record always makes these situations feel heavier, especially when the games get tighter and the margins get smaller.
Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach are absent from the Canadiens' morning skate - - Simon-Olivier Lorange
We also received this update form Renaud Lavoie :
Brendan Gallagher, Oliver Kapanen et Arber Xhekaj are doing extra this morning @CanadiensMTL
This means they won't be playing tonight...
No changes ahead of game 4 !
-
Things just got significantly worse for the Canadiens before Game Night
That is the real consequence now.
The Canadiens already need more offense against a Hurricanes team that has squeezed the life out of their attack for stretches of this series. Game 3 ended with Carolina winning 3-2 in overtime, and Montreal was again left looking for answers late.
If Dach cannot go, that is another problem dropped right into St-Louis' lap.
And even if he dresses, the question becomes obvious.
How close is he to himself?
Because a compromised Dach is not the same thing as a healthy one. Montreal needs pace, puck support, and real push through the middle of the ice tonight. If one of its most important forwards is dragging physically, that affects everything from matchups to zone entries to how much pressure the Canadiens can actually sustain.
Newhook missing the skate adds another layer too. Even if his situation feels less severe in the report, 2 regular forwards being absent the morning of Game 4 is still the kind of development that gets a coaching staff reworking options quickly.
That is why this one has people talking.
The Canadiens are already in a dangerous spot in the series.
If Dach and Newhook are not right, it gets even harder.
Source : Here
Will Kirby Dach's situation hurt the Canadiens badly in Game 4?
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