Arber Xhekaj gets the best of Matt Rempe

The New York Rangers - Montreal Canadiens game was going to be a physical one, and through a period and six minutes, it has lived up to the bill.

Arber Xhekaj and Matt Rempe are two guys that you think when the word physical comes into play, and until Sunday night the pair haven't squared off. But Rempe challenged Xhekaj, and I think he bit off more than he could chew. Rempe got the first jab on Xhekaj, but that didn't much matter when Xhekaj took his turn.

It's almost as though the Habs-Rangers rivalry was set in stone from the point that Chris Kreider ran Carey Price in the 2014 playoffs. There have been some great battles between the two Original Six teams over the almost 11 years since. The fight between Rempe and Xhekaj will go down as one of the best displays of hatred between both teams.

I'm not sure if Xhekaj is a natural righty or lefty, but his left jab was like a jackhammer, and it lit up Rempe pretty well. Xhekaj's smarts and restraint have paid off in spades of late, and with the Habs pissed off from their loss to the Leafs, Xhekaj got to let out his anger. Whatever works to have him playing consistently well, I'm all for it.

Rempe has proven that he is one of the NHL's top enforcers, and he has challenged every player that he fought. I think Xhekaj did the best against him, and I think having that presence in the lineup will serve the Habs well in their future playoff runs. The balance of grit and sandpaper, along with stout defensive play and steady puck moving are huge assets to the Habs, and Xhekaj provides a rare package for Montreal.

An impressive part of what Xhekaj is doing is that he can take his next regular shift with bruised knuckles and make an impact. Rempe doesn't provide much defensively or on the scoresheet, and the most you hear is he threw a huge hit or got into a fight. Xhekaj has a well-rounded game, and he can drop guys with a heavy left hand.

Xhekaj was victimized early in his career for poor decisions, and his growth and maturity have allowed him to establish an everyday role in the Canadiens' top-six defence group. Rempe got smacked around, where Xhekaj would get benched or end up in the penalty box. Either way, he is causing trouble with his fists and staying in Martin St. Louis's good graces.

It doesn't look good for Josh Anderson

The game moves in a way that things happen so fast, and an instant replay can show an awful lot, that is especially the case for Josh Anderson. It was a freak sequence, where Anderson got tied up with a couple of Rangers players. I don't think your leg is made to bend like Anderson's did, and I hope the prognosis is more encouraging than actual injury.

After totally revitalizing his game over the offseason, Anderson has looked like a different player completely. Oozing with confidence, the plays that would usually cause Anderson trouble, have been the ones that are compiled in his highlight reel this season. My best wishes are with Anderson, who recently announced that he and his wife are expecting their first child.