The Washington Capitals imposed their will on the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1, landing big hit after big hit. Alex Ovechkin delivered a game-high seven body checks while Brandon Duhaime (5), Lars Eller (5), Anthony Beauvillier (4), and Taylor Raddysh (4) also frequently laid the body in the team’s 3-2 overtime victory.
Tom Wilson arguably delivered the game’s biggest hit, sending young Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle careening to the ice behind Montreal’s net.
Alex Alexeyev even got away with a cross-check to the face of Canadiens’ forward Brendan Gallagher.
Tuesday after practice, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis was asked what he described as a “deep question” about the team’s defensive pairings to conclude his press conference. Namely, what does he like about the composition of his defense that gives him confidence to roll them out the way he does. But he saw right through it.
“I know [what] you guys are just trying to get me to answer,” St. Louis responded. “I don’t know. I have Xhekaj. It’s a card. I might play him. I don’t know yet. But, you know, it’s good to have.”
That card is six-foot-four, 240-pound enforcer, Arber Xhekaj, one of the NHL’s most physical and feared fighters. Xhekaj was healthy-scratched in Game 1 by St. Louis as the Hockey Hall of Fame player went with the following lineup.
Xhekaj gives the Canadiens a different swagger on the ice. The former Costco employee is good with his hands, dropping the gloves seven times during the regular season. His biggest bout came in a heavyweight tilt against New York Rangers enforcer Matt Rempe.
Other notable moments from the Hamilton, Ontario-born rearguard include a big hit on Tim Stützle that earned him a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct. During the preseason, he also avenged a hit that injured Patrik Laine by jumping Cedric Pare.
“I think he just gives that extra motivation for guys maybe being a little bit more comfortable with him being out on the ice, knowing that he’s going to stick up for you and bring that toughness and that physicality,” Josh Anderson said. “And I’m sure our skill guys like having him in the lineup.”
While playing Xhekaj adds security to Montreal’s lineup, there are drawbacks. He does not provide much offense (6 points in 70 games), is not the most fleet of foot, and is a penalty magnet.
In 70 games this season, Xhekaj’s minus-20 penalty differential was the fourth-worst in the NHL. With him on the ice at five-on-five, the Canadiens saw just 45.4 percent of shot attempts, 44.2 percent of expected goals, 44.3 percent of scoring chances, and 44.5 percent of high-danger chances.
Regardless, Xhekaj appears eager to play as, per a video from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, he was the first player on the ice for practice on Tuesday.
But Martin St. Louis ultimately opted to keep Xhekaj on the sidelines for Game 2, deciding to go with the same lineup per the Associated Press’s Stephen Whyno.
“I don’t think it’ll change the style of Wilson,” St. Louis said.
