Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj the Sheriff Returns Edition

[MXD]

If they take liberties I would say put Xhekaj in immediately. Toaster Struble's been not terrible. Savard's retiring, it means the boys are playing for him; it would be braindead to sit him for game 1.

... Not to mention, he's the correct handedness (not to say the right handedness!) play on the right side.

 

[Kimota]

wrong thread

 

[Kimota]

wrong thread

 

[yianik]

Can’t say that with 100% certainty.

Likely not to play the first game. After that, a lot can happen.

To me the playoffs are a perfect setting for Xhekaj especially because of his net clearing abilities and his physicality in one on one battles plus the latitude refs afford to actions that are normally punishable in the regular season.

We are seeing it right now. Team and mostly the D being outmuscled and pounded. This is where the positive qualities of Xhekaj are amplified and valuable. The defensive shortcomings less so since as we see ,the D cant defend the slot , while Arber can.

 

[River Meadow]

MSL will play him next game.

Guaranteed.

 

[Naslundforever]

If Hutson gets hurt, there is no coming back from that until next season.

If Hutson gets seriously hurt with his knees, he may never get that edgework back.

None of that, not a shred of that is worth the defensive spread between Struble and X.

But then, nobody is as smart as SMarty. Just ask him...

They’d wrap Xjekaj around Hutson’s knee to protect him? Kind of heavy to lug around..

 

[Huntingpucks]

Surprise surprise. He’s needed

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Surprise surprise. He’s needed

Yes. It's like nobody has ever watched playoff hockey before.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Yes. It's like nobody has ever watched playoff hockey before.

Its an unforced error by MSL. You have Xhekaj to counter teams like Washington. Otherwise, what's the point?

 

[MarkJ]

Savard y'avance pu! Put him behind the bench like Denis in 93 and bring on Le Shérif!

 

[Ozmodiar]

0 high danger chances.

 

[Reimannsum1988]

Can't wait until we jettison him so that people can stop talking about this AHLer.

 

[Hope Of Glory]

Xhekaj is meh at best but we may not have a choice. Hopefully he doesn't make his mandatory 2 obvious blunders per game.

 

[Huntingpucks]

Xhekaj is meh at best but we may not have a choice. Hopefully he doesn't make his mandatory 2 obvious blunders per game.

Edmundson was meh in 2021? Zadorov last year ? Big defensemen thrive in the playoff . You drink Martin st Louis’s koolaid

 

[HabsAddict]

Struble...couldn't clear the zone on 3 tries...and a minute later, was daydreaming on the second goal.

Tell me again how much better he's then X?

 

[TomKosto]

Struble...couldn't clear the zone on 3 tries...and a minute later, was daydreaming on the second goal.

Tell me again how much better he's then X?

He struggle to play physical againts freaking Mangiapanne…Get him out, who cares how many chin-ups he can do, too small!

 

[Hope Of Glory]

Edmundson was meh in 2021? Zadorov last year ? Big defensemen thrive in the playoff . You drink Martin st Louis’s koolaid

Lmfao Edmunston was much more solid defensively than Xhekaj and a solid PKer. Not all big guys are equal.

I'd still give Xhekaj a try but its still risky.

Hopefully he proves me wrong and goes back to his midseason form when he was actually half decent. Late in the year in went to back to makings the same dumbs mistakes he's always been making. I though we were past that not too long ago.

 

[HabsAddict]

The panel...EVERYBODY KNOWS we need X.

 

[CrashOut]

Struble...couldn't clear the zone on 3 tries...and a minute later, was daydreaming on the second goal.

Tell me again how much better he's then X?

THIS.

 

[Huntingpucks]

Lmfao Edmunston was much more solid defensively than Xhekaj and a solid PKer. Not all big guys are equal.

I'd still give Xhekaj a try but its still risky.

Hopefully he proves me wrong and goes back to his midseason form when he was actually half decent. Late in the year in went to back to makings the same dumbs mistakes he's always been making. I though we were past that not too long ago.

He’s still learning . He also plays with a tight rope compared to others. Just unleash him

 

[ottawa]

Hope we see him in the next game, need his toughness

 

[Bacchus1]

MSL will play him next game.

Guaranteed.

I hope so. I don’t know who they take out on D, though. I also don’t know if they have experimented with him on the fourth line. Having someone like Arber cranking their d into the boards would be useful.

 

[FLHabs]

I hope so. I don’t know who they take out on D, though. I also don’t know if they have experimented with him on the fourth line. Having someone like Arber cranking their d into the boards would be useful.

Lots of people hate the idea of Arber on a 4th line, but I'm really warming up to it. If MSL won't play him on D, put him on the 4th and tell him to punish the opposing D on the forecheck, finish every check, and be the ultimate shit disturber.

 

[Ozmodiar]

team played well in the 2nd half. I think Marty stands pat. OT loss not enough reason for the change.

Still predictably jack in game 3 if they’re down 0-2. Hope we don’t find out.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Its an unforced error by MSL. You have Xhekaj to counter teams like Washington. Otherwise, what's the point?

Except Xhekaj won't counter Washington. Its not a single caps player that is playing physical. Its the whole team, so a single habs player isn't going to counter that.

The habs should also not try to play a more physical game than the Capitals because that's simply a battle they will not win. The caps are just a bigger and tougher team. The habs should focus on what they are good at which is speed and forecheck. We saw that in the last half of the 3rd period, and the caps had trouble dealing with it.

That said I would put Xhekaj in the lineup, but that's because he brings more to the table than Struble who is a bit vanilla.