Rivalry games are always entertaining, but there was one particular one between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs last season that was particularly fun for fans.
Montreal Canadiens fans may be getting somewhat fed up with kicking off the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there’s one thing that never gets old: the rivalry between the two sides. Whether one team is struggling or not, both outfits always know how to raise their game to give fans memorable games filled with animosity.
One of the duels between the two sides was particularly memorable last season, the one that took place on November 22 and ended in a 5-2 Canadiens’ win. It certainly felt like Montreal inflicted some payback on Toronto after losing their first duel of the season 5-2 in Toronto, but it was also Florian Xhekaj’s very first NHL game.
Before the puck dropped, Xhekaj was joined by his brother Arber to pose for a picture as it was also the brothers’ first regular-season game as members of the Montreal Canadiens. They became the 14th set of brothers to line up together in a game for the Habs and the first pair since Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn back in the 2007-08 season. The Habs' number 63 lined up with Jake Evans and Josh Anderson. Throughout the game, cameras kept an eye on the brothers’ mother, Simona Xhekaj, to catch her reaction to every bit of the action.
While the younger Xhekaj behaved himself for most of the game, even registering the first point of his career with an assist on a second-period Anderson goal, he did end up dropping the mitts late in the third frame after picking up a slashing penalty and having to fight Toronto defenseman Dakota Mermis. It was a fast and furious affair which didn’t prompt the same reaction from every member of the family. While Xhekaj’s big brother was beaming with pride on the bench, Mama Xhejaj had a worried look on her face, and the brothers’ sister gave Florian a standing ovation.
The older Xhekaj, no doubt feeling a bit left out of the action, also got a misconduct at the final whistle as tempers brewed over at the final buzzer. Still, the Canadiens went away with a 5-2 win largely due to a great performance by Jakub Dobes, who stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced. It wasn’t the kind of game coaches like, however, since both teams committed 17 giveaways and failed to play a sound, responsible defensive game.
It was the first of five games the younger Xhekaj ended up playing last season, and he’ll no doubt be hoping to see more action this season. While he can handle himself on the ice, his skating isn’t exactly great and at times, it makes NHL action look a bit too fast for him. In the AHL, he played 64 games, putting up 29 points, including 17 goals, which is by no means a bad output, but he did have 24 goals the year before. He also added two points in five playoff games and 34 penalty minutes.
With both Joe Veleno and Brendan Gallagher not returning, it will be interesting to see if Xhekaj manages to grab a spot in the Canadiens’ lineup. It would be surprising if he did manage to do it out of camp, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he were called up in case of injuries, especially for matchups that promise to be physical.
Duels with the Florida Panthers could be particularly rough this season now that the Cats have added Brady Tkachuk to their lineup. The former Ottawa Senators captain has 31 points in 33 games against the Habs while recording 51 penalty minutes. Tkachuk and the Panthers will visit the Bell Center for a 1:00 PM game on Saturday, December 5; expect that game to be an eventful one.
As for the Leafs, they’ll be hoping to get back in the playoff picture this season after failing to make the Spring dance last year. The new regime in place has made many changes, bringing in some experienced players, including former Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in net and acquiring Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montreal and Toronto will face each other four times this season, including in the season opener on September 29.
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