The Montreal Canadiens had a new forward in their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, but it wasn't a new player.
Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Arber Xhekaj had watched his team’s last six games from the press gallery, and with Jayden Struble playing very good hockey and being paired with Lane Hutson, it looked like he wouldn’t be back in the lineup any time soon. However, on Sunday, Josh Anderson was still battling a virus and was unable to play. As a result, Martin St-Louis did something he had always refused to do: use the heavyweight as a fourth-line forward.
Xhekaj hadn’t played as a forward since his first year in Junior hockey, and there’s quite a difference between playing at that level and in the best league in the world. Still, he was up for the challenge, and while he wasn’t used all that much, when he was on the ice, he was quite a weapon on the forecheck.
St-Louis only gave Xhekaj six shifts for just 5 minutes and 11 seconds of action, but the gritty player made the most of those five minutes, landing five hits. Still, at the end of the game, he was the player who received the wolf pelt as the man of the match, since he had stepped out of his comfort zone and played a position he had never played in professional hockey. Clearly, his teammates appreciated it, and he was all smiles post-game.
Speaking to the media, Xhekaj explained:
I was just excited to get back to playing with the guys. I mean, I sit upstairs watching the guys go to war every night; I want to be out there. I had a lot of energy, and they cheered me up and made me feel good. I just thought I would play simple out there, chip pucks out, be physical and get to the front of the net when I could. I mean, it’s a tough rink to play in, and they were flying in the first period, so we had a couple of physical shifts, but we weathered the storm there.
He wasn’t really surprised that he had to play up front, as he had told the coach in the past that if he needed him to play up front, he would. The defenseman understood that the defence corps was playing very well right now and that he could help with the physicality up front and make the lineup a bit bigger. Asked how much fun it was for a defenseman to be able to forecheck finally, he laughed and replied:
That was my favourite part, honestly. On my second shift, their D came up to me and said, “You’re on fourth tonight?” They were shaking their head, so it was pretty funny. I’ve always wanted to forecheck, and it felt pretty good today.
There’s no telling whether the experience will be repeated, but the big man showed he could make a difference with his physicality out there. Since putting Struble with Lane Hutson has stabilized the defence corps, it looks unlikely that he’ll get back in as a blueliner anytime soon. It’s an interesting card for St-Louis to have up his sleeve, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be willing to use it when the circumstances do not force him.
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