Kirby Dach - is there precedent for a happy ending?

[overlords]

you know there are only like 5 of us old enough to get the 6Million Dollar man reference, right?

I'm a millenial that was raised on re-runs of Gilligan, Green Acres and All in the Family. I get all the references.

 

[sansabri]

I'm a millenial that was raised on re-runs of Gilligan, Green Acres and All in the Family. I get all the references.

no Monkees? boo

 

[waitin425]

I asked my massage therapist this question and she kicked me out.

 

[overlords]

no Monkees? boo

Yeah there was some of that too. I also remember watching that terrible Beatles movie, the one with the magic ring. Bad.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Agreed. Before being hurt he was very very high level. Some said almost Orr level.

I saw them both play as 16 year olds. I will go to my grave saying that at least before his serious injuries Savard was Orr’s equal. His Conn Smythe trophy winning playoff was proof of Savard’s talent. What could have been.

 

[Next Best Thing]

Dach is a key contributor offensively and will be put in a position to succeed by St-Louis, he will have no choice but to get elevated by the likes of Suzuki, Caufield, Slaf, Demidov, Hudson, etc. I have no doubt in my mind that IF he stays healthy we have nothing to worry about.

 

[Next Best Thing]

I asked my massage therapist this question and she kicked me out.

Oh you didn't take the "obsessed and depraved habs fan" package eh, should be a standard in QC

 

[YukonCornelius 5thOA]

Yeah there was some of that too. I also remember watching that terrible Beatles movie, the one with the magic ring. Bad.

Screw you! Help! rules!

 

[Scintillating10]

I imagine speed and size they play at are a factor. Just common sense. A 230lb Anderson or Dach moving at 25mph going to have more impact on the human body than a 195lb Suzuki going 22mph. Increase both numbers and multiply. Imagine the impact much greater on bones and ligaments. Over a long period of time anyway. Odds of chance they going to be injured more.
Take somebody knows a little physics to figure total impact. I can't do it.

Not the only factor but one of them. Reflexes and experience play a role also. Faster reflexes split second more time to prepare. Experience or hockey sense, knowing how to protect yourself more plays role.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

I imagine speed and size they play at are a factor. Just common sense. A 230lb Anderson or Dach moving at 25mph going to have more impact on the human body than a 195lb Suzuki going 22mph. Increase both numbers and multiply. Imagine the impact much greater on bones and ligaments. Over a long period of time anyway. Odds of chance they going to be injured more.
Take somebody knows a little physics to figure total impact. I can't do it.

Not the only factor but one of them. Reflexes and experience play a role also. Faster reflexes split second more time to prepare. Experience or hockey sense, knowing how to protect yourself more plays role.

There are some ironmen who were fast. Marleau was fast and is almost at the top of the ironman list. What I'm saying is they should have someone whose full-time job is analyzing what the ironmen do well systematically and imbed it into the way that the team plays. Conversely, look at players who get injured a lot, such as Dach (though it does not have to be), and develop a list of practices whose risk-benefit profile strongly suggests that players stay away from those to achieve longetivity in the league.

If they really want to throw money at this, and want to get fancy, run some human pose estimation neural networks from (digital) game scenes to reconstruct these scenarios in 3D and try to use musculoskeletal simulation to look at some what-if questions, such as could the player have better protected himself then, with a markedly different biomechanical (and traumatic) outcome?

You might also use it to tweak the equipment. My Lexus has blind spot monitor on each side, which lights up the corresponding mirror... Why not stick a cloud of sensors on each player's helmet, coupled with audible warnings, and make it harder to elbow him in the face? Yes, the dinosaurs running the league may object, in the name of upholding antiquated equipment standards, but they may also have a PR debacle on their hands, if they actually shut down innovation that prevents concussions.

You might also train players with a VR setting where in the simulation, the players are trying to knock them down, but the VR simulation allows them to roll off checks virtually, and then try to apply these techniques on the ice with Adam Nicholas and his colleagues.

 

[Scintillating10]

I saw them both play as 16 year olds. I will go to my grave saying that at least before his serious injuries Savard was Orr’s equal. His Conn Smythe trophy winning playoff was proof of Savard’s talent. What could have been.

What would Orr reached though? He had bad knees most his career

 

[Naslundforever]

I asked my massage therapist this question and she kicked me out.

While thinking of Kirby Dach though? I remember thinking of Tim Wallach as a kid if I was there before she was but very different context and didn’t work. Made watching the games weird.

 

[Rob Sense]

Nobody can predict anything that will happen this season. Dach is healthy and no injury he sustained was a recurring one. They were accidents. Accidents may happen again but their is no dark cloud or ligament/bone waiting to explode at a predetermined date. He will play on the second line and skate/shoot like he did in training camp last year or better. IF we start worrying about every single player getting injured on each shift then there are not enough benzos on the planet to calm the Habs fanbase. Take a deep breath, a swig of beer and watch the guys play hockey...calisse!

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Nobody can predict anything that will happen this season. Dach is healthy and no injury he sustained was a recurring one. They were accidents. Accidents may happen again but their is no dark cloud or ligament/bone waiting to explode at a predetermined date. He will play on the second line and skate/shoot like he did in training camp last year or better. IF we start worrying about every single player getting injured on each shift then there are not enough benzos on the planet to calm the Habs fanbase. Take a deep breath, a swig of beer and watch the guys play hockey...calisse!I

No one is worrying about any other player yet. None have the injury history of Dach. Hopefully it's a case of better awareness and avoiding and anticipating hits.

 

[Rob Sense]

No one is worrying about any other player yet. None have the injury history of Dach. Hopefully it's a case of better awareness and avoiding and anticipating hits.

Caufield had shoulder reconstruction surgery. Guhle had recurrent knee injuries, Xhekaj had hand and shoulder injuries, Slav had multiple concussions...and i could go on. All players should avoid hits???

 

[Habs13]

Lindros played in an era where headshots were tolerated. He would have been fine in this NHL.

I know - I'm old enough to remember the glory days of hockey. And no - he still would have been smoked in todays NHL.

 

[Frankenheimer]

I know - I'm old enough to remember the glory days of hockey. And no - he still would have been smoked in todays NHL.

He would have been smoked with legal hits that currently exist in today's NHL? Care to provide any examples of this happening to 6'4", 240lb players today? Knocked on his ass? Maybe. But nothing comparable to headhunting we saw decades ago.

And it was a dual problem, if you recall. It was the dark ages of concussion protocols. Letting him play with concussion symptoms strongly contributed to other concussion issues. When he got drilled by Stevens he shouldn't have been anywhere near the ice.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Caufield had shoulder reconstruction surgery. Guhle had recurrent knee injuries, Xhekaj had hand and shoulder injuries, Slav had multiple concussions...and i could go on. All players should avoid hits???

Guhle is another question mark. The rest have not missed nearly as many games as Dach and likely didn't get hurt on nothing plays. And yes every player should try their best to avoid hits unless they have to take one to make a play.

 

[Rob Sense]

Guhle is another question mark. The rest have not missed nearly as many games as Dach and likely didn't get hurt on nothing plays. And yes every player should try their best to avoid hits unless they have to take one to make a play.

but you said this though: "No one is worrying about any other player yet." I guess you can just change opinions from one post to the next but call out others.

 

[Scintillating10]

Habs been hit really hard will injuries last few seasons. Had two first ballet hall of famers career cut short in same off season. Don't think that's happened before to any team in any league? Then next season led league in man games lost. Turn a Finals caliber team to worst in league

Meer mention on injuries have some of their fans on edge of their seats. They seen what injuries can do.

 

[Habs]

I asked my massage therapist this question and she kicked me out.

Did you get injured for the year after the first rub in true Habs fashion?

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I saw them both play as 16 year olds. I will go to my grave saying that at least before his serious injuries Savard was Orr’s equal. His Conn Smythe trophy winning playoff was proof of Savard’s talent. What could have been.

Savard was never Orr's equal but he had the potential to be the greatest Hab dman ever and imo was the best all around dman of the big 3.

 

[Scintillating10]

There are some ironmen who were fast. Marleau was fast and is almost at the top of the ironman list. What I'm saying is they should have someone whose full-time job is analyzing what the ironmen do well systematically and imbed it into the way that the team plays. Conversely, look at players who get injured a lot, such as Dach (though it does not have to be), and develop a list of practices whose risk-benefit profile strongly suggests that players stay away from those to achieve longetivity in the league.

If they really want to throw money at this, and want to get fancy, run some human pose estimation neural networks from (digital) game scenes to reconstruct these scenarios in 3D and try to use musculoskeletal simulation to look at some what-if questions, such as could the player have better protected himself then, with a markedly different biomechanical (and traumatic) outcome?

You might also use it to tweak the equipment. My Lexus has blind spot monitor on each side, which lights up the corresponding mirror... Why not stick a cloud of sensors on each player's helmet, coupled with audible warnings, and make it harder to elbow him in the face? Yes, the dinosaurs running the league may object, in the name of upholding antiquated equipment standards, but they may also have a PR debacle on their hands, if they actually shut down innovation that prevents concussions.

You might also train players with a VR setting where in the simulation, the players are trying to knock them down, but the VR simulation allows them to roll off checks virtually, and then try to apply these techniques on the ice with Adam Nicholas and his colleagues.

I mentioned speed and size only one factor. It's not the only of course. Reflexes and smarts are in equation as well. Bound to be exceptions. I can't do the math but Common sense tells me the faster player moving the greater impact and less reaction. Dach, Anderson they both play with a bit of reckless abandon at times.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

As for precedent as people have said there is precedent for Dach staying relatively healthy for years. As there is for him to be continuously hurt. IMO Anderson plays with less reckless abandon now due to the injuries he has suffered. Hopefully Dach will as well. Be reckless when necessary but not all the time.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

And what is this '3rd major injury' you speak of..?

He shattered his wrist when playing with Canada at the WJC and the two knee injuries these last two years