Arber Xhekaj screwed by referee against the Philadephia Flyers
Arber Xhekaj challenged Sean Couturier, then both players dropped their gloves. Then Xhekaj got run from behind by Nick Seeler, and Xhekaj got the lone penalty. Hmm, weird, no?
The Montreal Canadiens were victimized by the officials on Sunday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
This sounds like a complaint, and frankly, that is the truth. But it is super frustrating for a guy like Arber Xhekaj, who Martin St. Louis called out, and then responded well. The bad luck to get a penalty the way he did, standing up for a teammate; it's a little puzzling.
Alas, it isn't an unwarranted complaint, and I think that each of the other 31 fanbases would be upset by the call. Xhekaj was defending Kirby Dach, who has an injury history to boot, and he was jumped from behind. I understand that Sean Couturier is Philadelphia's captain, but the hit wasn't a great one; you should expect to have to answer for edgy hits.
All credit to Couturier for dropping the gloves, but him escaping a penalty for dropping his gloves and then Seeler getting nothing is INSANE pic.twitter.com/XAkEs1p3hE
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla) October 27, 2024
Xhekaj is wired to stand up for his team when he feels like they are having liberties taken against them. So, he is going to challenge the aggressor every time, it feels a little biased to only penalize him, because of that fact. I think I can admit if a penalty should be assessed or not, and this situation, at the very least warranted offsetting minors.
Xhekaj responding well to St. Louis
St. Louis wasn't coy about his impression of Xhekaj's play, and while it was blunt, it ensured that Xhekaj knew exactly what was expected from him. Now, it can viewed as out of line or a little too honest, but it is a display of the belief that St. Louis has in Xhekaj. In my opinion, the player and coach both know that Xhekaj is capable of more than what he has shown.
We’ve never heard Coach Marty sound as tough & strict talking about a Habs player during a press conference as he did talking about Arber Xhekaj today.
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 25, 2024
Here’s the clip: pic.twitter.com/NQWWOaPYNk
The proof of that was Xhekaj's 20:34 of ice time against the St. Louis Blues, now it wasn't perfect because he had two giveaways, but there was improvement. He also registered three hits, but he played a simple game, moving the puck quickly and using his feet to create controlled zone exits. He provided a stabilizing presence, and the Canadiens defence put forth a solid effort.
Certainly, the film and practice that St. Louis and Xhekaj went over helped tremendously. The fact that Xhekaj responded the way that he did to St. Louis's challenge, if you will, only solidifies that he is capable of being much better. I think the way that St. Louis handled it, was done only because he knows that Xhekaj is a guy who has a lot of pride and wants to be at his best, to help the team as best he can.
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