Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has been focusing on his defensive play during his stint in the AHL.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has been focusing on his defensive play during his stint in the AHL.
The Canadiens management's decision back on December 4th to assign Arber Xhekaj to the American Hockey League (AHL) was not unanimously received by observers and the fanbase.
Xhekaj was surprised and admitted that it affected his mindset as he initially dressed as a member of the Laval Rocket. In his first game at Place Bell, his presence was needed against the Belleville Senators, but he did not make a difference.
Improving in the Defensive Zone
Since that night, there has been a steady progression and Xhekaj better understands management's decision.
"In general, just clean up the D-zone," said Xhekaj explaining the direction provided to him by the team. "I don't think [management] want me to be a six or seven guy in Montreal. I think they want me to be a go-to guy who eventually plays 20 minutes a night and build into that."
Jean-Francois Houle and his staff are overseeing Xhekaj's progression in the defensive zone. "Turnovers," said Houle on Saturday when asked to specify an aspect that needs to be improved.
In his first AHL game, the undrafted defenseman finished the night with minus-2, but the coach has seen improvement. "In his first two games, he had several turnovers but now he's calmer with the puck, he scans more to look for his options, he buys himself time and wins his board battles."
Adjusting to His New Team
Xhekaj hit a milestone on Friday by scoring his first AHL goal that ended up being the game winner. Late in the second period, Xavier Simoneau fed the puck to the 22-year-old in the slot for a power play goal.
'The Sheriff' as he is affectionally called also joined in a post whistle scrum after Lias Andersson was hit along the boards. Even though, he received a penalty for it, it was reassuring to see that Xhekaj looked more like himself.
"The game is played a little bit different [in the AHL]. It definitely took me a couple of games to figure it out and I'm still rehabbing my shoulder so it was a big thing to stay healthy but it's feeling better now and it showed tonight," Xhekaj noted after Laval's win on Saturday.
Adjusting to a new team after the season has stated is never easy and it was not any different for the Hamilton native. "It takes time sometimes. You have to get to know your teammates and he played full time in the NHL last season and he was sent down. It's not fun for him but I think he understands why he's here," shared Houle. "Up to now, he's showed good things and I find him a lot more comfortable now."
Paired with Mailloux
For the last six games, Xhekaj's defensive partner has been Logan Mailloux. The two are most likely defensemen to get the next opportunities to play in Montreal.
"I think they're playing great together. They're cool and collected back there. They're happy to play together, you have a lefty, a righty, they're two big boys. The first few games, I'm not going to lie, it was a little shaky and they had a lot of turnovers, but right now they are stabilizing a lot of things, they move the puck well, they're winning battles and it's hard to get in front of the net."
"They're really good," said Sean Farrell speaking about the duo. "I wouldn't want to be playing against them. Having Arber here has been great. He's a really good defenseman and both of them are really good with the puck as well. When we're out there with them, we can definitely make some plays and they will be able to find us on the breakout."
Xhekaj's Impact
Since Xhekaj donned Laval's uniform for the first time, the team has won four of the seven matches. They had won five in the previous 20 contests. It's difficult to prove that there's any correlation to the Rocket's current win streak being related to the defenseman's arrival, but it can't be ignored.
"He brings a presence that other players don't. The physical aspect is there and it opens the path for other players that are smaller. They say that when you have a big player in your lineup, everyone else grows by two inches and it creates space for some players," said Houle explaining Xhekaj's impact.
The Sheriff in Laval is a 180 degree change to the one that joined the club in early December and that certainly has been a positive influence for the entire group.
"He's a good teammate. He has fun coming to the arena and he's a fun guy to be around. He has a really good attitude and I'm proud of him," declared Houle.
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